Emma Cossey

Great programme that addresses the reasons why we overeat and how to combat it. I missed a couple of sessions, but it's definitely helped to alter my eating habits and the way I think about food.

With celebrities including Lily Allen and Madonna embracing the latest craze for Pole Dancing, I felt it was only fair to the readers of Wahanda to try it!

Purity Pole dancing offers a variety of classes in my local area, so I contacted Jolene, one of the teachers, and booked myself and my friend in. Jolene was lovely and friendly, and gave clear directions and a map for where the Purity dance studio was. The website had clear instructions on what to wear and what to expect in the class.

Donning a pair of shorts and trainers, we made our way to the class and were the first to arrive at the class. Jolene warmly greeted us and explained a little more about how long she had been doing the classes and a bit about the competitions, classes and events in the local area for Pole Dancing. In the next few weeks, Jolene will be attending the quarter finals and the final, all set in the Reading area.

The class itself was in a one room studio, with walls covered in mirrors and 5 poles throughout the room. Shortly after we arrived six others joined us, with ages ranging from 18-40. The majority of attendees to pole dancing are female, but it’s not unknown for guys to attend too.

Jolene got us warmed up with some basic stepping on the spot, and stretches. She then taught us how to walk around the pole, of which there were three different styles. Once we had decided on a style, we were taught how to turn around the pole, how to lean back against it, stay up on the stole, and how to shimmer.

Whilst my initial hopes that I’d be a natural were pretty unrealistic, it was great fun trying all the moves, and then adding all the moves together. It’s harder than it looks, in particular I struggled with spinning around the pole, but the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and everyone is happy to make suggestions or discuss different ways of doing a move. Jolene also makes sure to speak to each student about each move, and is conscious of making sure all the moves are safe and not in danger of pulling a muscle!

I definitely felt afterwards that my arms and abs had had a bit of a workout.

Jolene’s class was fun and clearly instructed, and definitely removed the stigma of pole dancing being only the activity of strippers! I would really recommend this to anyone that wants to take a fun approach to fitness. With practice you’ll definitely get a full body workout, and it has the benefit of being a sociable activity, with many pole competitions and pole parties running.

I was recently lucky enough to be able to try a dance class with RedHatSalsa, a popular group of Salsa classes in the Berkshire area. As a gymaphobe, I jumped at the opportunity to get fit without sweating it out on a treadmill.

I visited a class on Tuesday with a friend of mine,  in the dance rooms above the funky European café RISC. From their website I can see they also hold a variety of classes and dance evenings most nights of the week in bars, clubs and restaurants across Berkshire.

We made our way through several rooms to a room at the back, clearly labelled ‘Absolute Beginners’. The room quickly filled up with 28 other students, all in their 1st or 2nd lesson. The group was a equal mix of men and women, and there was a wide range of ages attending. Our dance teacher, Ed, got us to line up in two rows, and taught us the basic steps, which in all honesty felt a bit like a line dancing class! Apparently this is because line dancing did originate from Salsa dancing.

Once we had got the hang of the basic steps, we were asked to find a partner, with all the men ( and the poor lady who had to pretend to be a man due to a slight imbalance in men and woman in the class) lined up around the outside of the room. Ed then led us through the dance moves in our pairs, asking the ladies to move on to a new partner each time we learnt a new move. This gives every dancer an opportunity to dance with each partner twice.

The dance moves were easy to learn, and Ed’s clear instructions and patience were great. The atmosphere was really positive, with everyone being encouraging. Whilst it may not have been the hardest cardio workout, it was fun and it’s definitely a great way to get moving. After the lesson was finished, Ed let us know that we could stay for the beginner class next door, wait an hour for the dance floor to open up for all levels, or attend the Salsa party at a local restaurant at the weekend.