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Pole & aerial training

I started SneakyDeez because my own wrists hurt after years of teaching pole, so this is the part of the blog that is closest to my heart. Pole, aerial hoop and silks put a lot of weight through hands that most of us never trained for, and these guides collect what I tell my own students about looking after their wrists while they keep training.

If your wrists already hurt, start with the guide to wrist pain from pole dancing, because it explains the most common reasons and what tends to help. After that I would read the 10-minute warm-up and then the six-week conditioning plan, since those two make the biggest difference over months of training. The articles on shoulder mount pain and on twisted grip versus cup grip are for when one particular move is the problem, and the piece on training with a sore wrist covers what you can still work on while things settle.

The rest is the practical side of life on the pole, like cleaning your pole, choosing a grip aid, keeping warm in a cold studio and the bruises we all collect. If you also do hoop or silks, the aerial wrist care guide and the comparison of the three apparatus are worth a read. And if pain keeps coming back or started with a fall, please see a doctor or physiotherapist before you push on.

Illustration of a smiling woman leaning out from a dance pole on a patterned mat, holding on with one hand and wearing patterned wrist wraps

Start here · Pole & aerial training · 11 min read

Wrist Pain from Pole Dancing: Why It Happens and What Helps

A pole teacher's guide to why your wrists hurt on the pole, which grips and moves load them most, and what actually helps them settle and get stronger.

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Illustration of a dancer with long curly auburn hair kneeling on a blue mat in kneepads and clear platform heels, arching back in a body roll beside a dance pole

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Exotic Pole Floorwork in Heels: How to Look After Your Wrists and Knees

Knee slides, body rolls, floor spins and splits in heels put a lot through your wrists and knees. This is how a pole teacher sets floorwork up so it stays kind to both.

Illustration of a smiling woman with curly black hair in a bun holding a forearm plank on a mat in a sunny living room, with a home dance pole, a water bottle, a towel and a phone timer nearby

Pole & aerial training · 9 min read

A 20-Minute Home Pole Conditioning Session (Most of It Needs No Pole)

A timed 20-minute session for core, shoulders, back, glutes and grip that you can do at home without a pole, with wrist-friendly swaps for every move that loads the hands.

Illustration of a smiling woman with a short dark bob wiping a silver dance pole with a blue microfibre cloth in a bright living room, with a spray bottle and a folded cloth at the base of the pole

Pole & aerial training · 8 min read

How to Clean a Dance Pole: Chrome, Brass, Stainless, Powder-Coated and Silicone

A simple routine for cleaning any dance pole, which cleaner suits chrome, brass, stainless, powder-coated and silicone finishes, and why a clean pole grips better.

Illustration of a smiling woman with a blonde ponytail relaxing on a sofa after pole class, holding a towel-wrapped cool pack on her knee and a mug of tea

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Pole Kisses: Why Pole Dancing Bruises You and When a Bruise Needs Checking

Why pole kisses happen, where they usually show up, how to look after them, and the bruising signs that mean you should see a doctor instead of blaming the pole.

Illustration of a smiling woman with short dark hair sitting on a pink mat beside a dance pole in a relaxed seated stretch, with a water bottle and a folded towel next to her

Pole & aerial training · 9 min read

Can You Still Pole Dance With a Sore Wrist? What to Train While It Settles

A pole teacher's plan for the weeks your wrist needs a break: what to keep training, what to skip, when to get it checked and how to ease back in.

Illustration of a smiling woman with a high bun sitting cross-legged by a dance pole, rubbing grip aid into her palms while wearing black and white patterned wrist wraps low on her wrists

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Pole Grip Aids Compared: Which Type Suits Dry, Sweaty or Cold Hands?

A pole teacher's no-brands comparison of grip aid types, which suits dry, sweaty or cold hands, how pole finish and studio rules change things, and why wraps go on first.

Illustration of three smiling women in a bright studio, one holding a dance pole, one sitting in an aerial hoop and one holding pink aerial silks

Pole & aerial training · 9 min read

Pole vs Aerial Hoop vs Silks: Which Is Hardest on Your Wrists?

Pole, hoop and silks all ask a lot of your hands, but in different ways. This side-by-side guide shows where each one loads your wrists and how to get ready for whichever you love.

Illustration of a smiling woman with curly red hair beside a dance pole, adjusting patterned wrist wraps that sit low on her wrists

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Wrist Wraps for Pole Dancing: How to Choose, Size and Wear Them

Where wraps should sit so your grip stays yours, which width and size to pick, how tight is right, and how to look after them, from a pole teacher who makes them.

Illustration of a smiling woman standing by a dance pole doing slow wrist circles with her fingers interlaced

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

A 10-Minute Wrist Warm-Up for Pole and Aerial

Twelve simple steps in ten minutes get your wrists and forearms ready for spins, hangs and handstands, with timings and a note on how each part should feel.

Illustration of a smiling woman sitting on a bench in a pole studio holding a light dumbbell for forearm work, with a water bottle beside her

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Pole Conditioning for Stronger Wrists: A 6-Week Plan

A step-by-step wrist conditioning plan that takes fifteen minutes, two or three times a week, and prepares your wrists for handsprings, shoulder mounts and floorwork over six weeks.

Illustration of a smiling woman sitting in an aerial hoop holding the top of the hoop, with aerial silks hanging beside her

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Wrist Care for Aerial Hoop and Silks: Grip, Hangs and Conditioning

Hoop and silks are mostly hanging and pulling, so your forearms and grip do long shifts. This guide shows you how to hold on smarter, build grip endurance and look after your wrists.

Illustration of a woman in a beanie, hoodie and leg warmers rubbing her hands together beside a dance pole in a chilly studio with frosty windows

Pole & aerial training · 6 min read

Training in a Cold Studio: Warming Up Your Wrists and Lower Back

Cold hands grip worse and cold backs feel stiff, so this is how to warm up, layer and stay warm between turns when your pole or aerial studio never quite heats up.

Illustration of a woman with short curly hair sitting cross-legged on a mat at the foot of a dance pole, gently holding her wrist with a mug of tea and a water bottle beside her

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Shoulder Mount Wrist Pain: Why Your Bottom Hand Hurts and How to Fix It

The bottom hand in a shoulder mount does a lot more work than anyone warns you about, so here's how to set it up, build it up and give it a break when it needs one.

Illustration of a curly-haired woman holding a dance pole with one hand high and one hand low while her blonde friend copies the hand shape

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Twisted Grip vs Cup Grip: Which Handspring Grip Is Kinder to Your Wrists?

Both handspring grips are valid, but they load your wrist and shoulder very differently, so here's how to work out which one your body is ready for.

Illustration of a smiling dancer sitting cross-legged on a fluffy rug beside a pole, wearing a soft waist warmer over her shorts and holding a water bottle while a friend stretches behind her and snow falls outside

Pole & aerial training · 7 min read

Waist Warmers for Dancers: Why Pole and Aerial People Keep Their Lower Back Warm

Why dancers and aerialists keep their lower back and core warm between turns and in cold studios, and how to wear, layer and size a waist warmer so it stays put all class.