The stripper experience is only understood when one is fully integrated into the industry
I have met so many fitness professionals who truly believe that our job is a good, quality workout, conflating stripping with pole fitness. If you have ever been in sports, played an instrument, or done anything performance based, then you know what I mean when I say that work is performance, not training or practice.
Pole fitness is aptly named, but once you start wearing Pleasers more than not, we’re talking about something else entirely. Generally, burning more calories, doing any kind of movement or physical activity that uses muscles in new ways, will generate some kind of results. You might notice seemingly positive changes in body composition, strength, and flexibility if you do not train outside the club. This does not mean they are healthy or beneficial long term.
Some fitness professionals have tried to be “stripper coaches”, focusing on aesthetics rather than holistic health and wellness. Some of my colleagues have told me stories about trainers who pushed them so hard they could not work because they were so exhausted and sore. Some have gotten injuries from overtraining while working a full time stripper schedule, myself included. Something about our lived experience is not translating to the way trainers and coaches build out our training plans.
When I started dancing, the minimum heels height by state law was three inches. Strippers would call those baby kitten heels, but to civilians, those are for a night out. Having to work in those would be called salacious and sexist. No other profession requires that heels over a certain height be worn at all times. Certainly, there are many professions that require standing, moving, lifting for long periods of time, but no one else does this in heels.
Heels aren’t the only thing that strippers need to recover from
There are so many things that make the stripping experience unique, and it takes an in depth understanding of it to create truly helpful programs for us. Whether you work day shift or night shift, sleep schedules may not align with a natural circadian rhythm. Repetitive movement injuries from dances and stage are likely to happen unless we are very intentional about equal movements on both sides through our shifts. Caloric intake, water intake, alcohol intake, medication and caffeine can all affect our stamina and ability to recover. Not to mention the heightened nervous system response to being in a loud, stimulating environment.
As I went through my personal training certification, it became abundantly clear to me that recovering from work was the most important pillar of any training plan for strippers, and I began to develop the concept of holistic hustling. Strength training, flexibility training, and cardiovascular training are all enhanced when an individual is in peak training condition- adequate sleep, adequate hydration, adequate nutritional intake.
In order to reduce the risk of injury, the concept of holistic hustling places an emphasis on recovery first, generally consisting of self-myofascial release (SMR), mobility, and corrective exercise. Together, these create the needed conditions for an individual to pursue other types of training or activities.
Self-Myofascial Release aka Foam Rolling
Self-myofascial release, or self massage, returns tight muscles to optimal length. There are many tools for this, but to start I would suggest a foam roller. If you have any chronic conditions, like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or having injuries like a healing fracture, please consult with your doctor before beginning an SMR regimen.
Mobility Training
Mobility training helps increase range of motion in our joints, which in turn reduces our risk of injury. Combining mobility training and SMR will enable our muscles to work optimally, allowing us to enhance our strength and flexibility training.
Corrective exercise
Although each individual will have different needs, corrective exercise for strippers generally focuses on correcting the side effects of heels and unbalanced muscle function from repetitive movements occurring primarily on one side of the body. One side effect of heels is developing an anterior pelvic tilt, which can lead to other problems, like sciatica, shortened muscles, lengthened muscles, and weak muscles.
Just a few changes can make a huge difference in our quality of life. Short term, adding a quick recovery routine helps maintain us physically; long term, this helps mitigate severe burnout. When we prioritize holistic health and wellness, and de-center the performance aspect of our job, we are able to appreciate our life and experiences from a new perspective.
Happy hustling babes!
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