Jessica's pole fitness story: From no fitness interest to a workout addict

Jessica, a Pole in Style's customer, shares with us her pole fitness journey so far.

1. Tell us about yourself. I'm a hopeless perfectionist with too high ambitions and too little time. I work as a system developer and try to express my creative side in my spare time. 2. When did you start pole dancing and how did you get into it? I took my first pole dancing class three years ago. My boyfriend's younger sister had been doing it for a while and I thought it looked like so much fun, so I decided to give it a try. I was instantly hooked. 3. Besides pole, are you doing any other fitness activities? I also take non-pole dance classes, currently street jazz. I've been dancing on and off in different styles since I was little. I find that it's a great way to work on my flow to improve on the pole as well. Flexibility is also something I work a lot on, trying to get my splits and backbend. And I try to go to the gym now and then to build more strength. So I guess all my other fitness activities are related to pole in one way or another. 4. What kind of impact has pole dancing made on you and your life? It has had a huge impact on me. Firstly, it has turned me into somewhat of a workout-junkie. From being very uninterested in workout, except maybe dancing, and mostly sitting in front of my computer being nerdy, I am now climbing walls if I don't get to work out for a few days. Secondly, and bigger, it has boosted my self-esteem significantly. I was terribly uncomfortable and shy when I started, and though I still am quite so, there has been a huge improvement. 5. What are your favorite tricks? I really love flexy tricks, like jade, peacock, jewel/cross ankle bridge. I'm not super flexible yet, but I'm working on it. I also like really powerful spins and combinations. 7. What are you currently working on? What do you want to achieve? I'm trying to improve my flow. It doesn't really come naturally to me despite all the dancing I've done in my life. My self-esteem has been holding me back so now I'm trying to find my style that I can be comfortable in. And of course flexibility! 8. Who are your pole idols? Oh, so many! I love the styles of Sarah Scott, Charlotte Robertson, Lindsay Lithe to name only a few.