Ever wondered how to make use of the somewhat unnecessary childhood gymnastic classes? Become a pole fitness instructor! I know I’m sounding like a salesperson but hear me out. Pole fitness is actually a lot more than taking gymnastic classes and being flexible. It is also one of the most trending fitness skills nowadays. Sure, flexibility is a must. But pole fitness is art; it’s all about balance, beauty, and passion.
A pole fitness instructor job actually pays better than you expect. The business side of the skill is what we are going to focus on in this blog post. If you really want to become a pole dancing instructor, you need to know every little detail about it. Well, it’s just like starting any other kind of business. You need to know what it is, how to brand it, how to market it, and how to sell it.
Fear not, my friend, because this blog post is dedicated to everything about teaching pole dancing. So grab your notepad and pen — or your iPad if you’re a techie —- and start taking notes!
What Is Pole Fitness?
Okay, first, let’s learn what the fitness skill itself is. Pole Fitness is a very specific type of workout that only requires a fixed pole as a piece of equipment. You will be using a mixture of dance moves while lifting and manipulating body weight, so it targets cardiovascular and strength training skills.
You are not just lifting weights or doing splits. This fitness type engages every single muscle in your body. You need strong arms, toned legs, and rock-solid core muscles. One remarkable fact about pole fitness — not forgetting that the whole thing is actually pretty awesome! — is that since your whole body is engaged in action, you will learn how to use every single muscle. In other words, you will know your body as you’ve never had before.
Honestly, I salute pole fitness enthusiasts. I watched a lot of videos back when I wanted to learn more about pole fitness, and as beautiful as it looks, it’s not at all easy to perform. Trust me, I’ve tried. All I got were pulled muscles and a very sad, hurt bottom.
And that, my friend, is why we need pole fitness instructors.
What Does a Pole Fitness Instructor Do?
Pole fitness instructors are mainly responsible for teaching pole fitness privately or in group classes. The following are some responsibilities a pole fitness instructor has:
- Lead pole fitness classes for different levels and time lengths
- Preparing class curriculums and individual programs for students on each level
- Organizing pole studio facilities, providing equipment, cleaning, etc.
- Select music and choreograph the dance routine
- Ensure student safety to avoid injury
- Motivate students to do better
- Holding classes at the pole studio, 1-2 hours each and multiple times a week
- Taking care of student sign-ups and invoicing
- Having a social media presence for marketing reasons
A Day in Life
Pole fitness instructors mainly use dance studios with fixed poles to lead their classes. The class routine focuses on cardio exercises through dancing and strength training through climbing, hanging, and swinging on the fixed pole. Instructors go with a fun and entertaining routine to use your own body weight to exercise instead of just weight lifting. These routines help weight loss, build muscles, and achieve an overall toned figure. Let’s say safety and how to ensure it is on top of the agenda.
The class routine and time length depend on the pole fitness instructor’s decision. For example, for beginner pole dancing classes, 30 minutes is enough to teach basic pole aerobics. For advanced students, you can have longer classes to introduce students to more complex pole acrobats. The instructor has to create the routines, choose motivational music, and design and choreograph the dance moves according to the routine level.
Safety is the number one concern for a pole fitness instructor. Because, well, students will spend a lot of time hanging upside down from poles. Since moves like that are relatively dangerous, the instructor needs to make sure students are following safety instructions all throughout the class.
Pole Fitness Instructor Work Schedule
Based on your preferences, you can work part-time or full hours. Many pole fitness instructors are self-employed, so they can have flexible hours. Regarding what times are best for planning classes, lunch evenings, and weekends are preferred times for students. So you can say pole dancing instructors don’t really stick to the 9 to 5. Of course, planning this kind of schedule is not exactly easy or pleasant. That’s why online booking calendars, like the ones RunSensible helps you create, are absolutely necessary.
Pole Fitness Instructor Employers
Since Pole fitness is kind of a new fitness trend, you still don’t see pole dancing classes in some major chain gyms or high-end fitness centers. These classes are held at independent studios. As I said before, pole dancing teachers are usually self-employed. They either have their own pole studios or teach classes as independent studios.
Benefits of Becoming a Pole Fitness Teacher
There are so many benefits to being a pole dancing teacher. There’s little to no competition since the market is recently growing in popularity. So, if you start now, you can be a market leader. Apart from that, they potentially make a lot of money. We will get that in a bit, but first, let me hype you up with some cool benefits:
1. No formal qualifications needed
You can get qualified as a pole dancing teacher for less than $1000. Basically, all you need to start your pole fitness teaching career are the fitness skill itself, teaching skills, and a lot of passion. You can be self-taught, have minimum experience, and still get signed to teach at a pole studio.
While learning the pole fitness skill, go online and download courses to learn how to teach it. You can also find information about opening your own studio. One useful tip is to try for an instructor job at the same studio you already attend because top studios require 2 – 3 plus years of teaching. So you can start from your local pole fitness studio to gain more experience.
2. You can teach anywhere
Literally, you can teach anywhere. All you need is a portable pole and a sound system. Dance studios usually cost around $30/hr to rent. You can rent your own space with mirrors and your own portable port. If you are self-employed, you can also have your pole fitness classes at private residences, hotels, bars, and even offices. If you own a dance studio, you can easily offer pole dancing classes. Just bear in mind that you need to be super cautious with a portable pole.
3. You can become fit and healthy
Just like any other fitness trainer or instructor, pole fitness instructors obtain a fit shape from all the daily classes they lead. The daily exercise to get ready for classes also helps with maintaining a toned and healthy body. Pole fitness can also help boost your self-confidence and body image. Do a quick search on Instagram for pole fitness instructors. You’ll see for yourself how the exercise pays off.
One downside to teaching pole fitness is that it can be dangerous. I mentioned before that as a pole fitness instructor, you are responsible for your student’s safety. What is also as important as your students’ safety is your own safe practice. One mistake can threaten your health and also your teaching career. To avoid any misfortunes, stay aware and alert during practices and classes. Also, watch yourself when practicing the same set of moves over and over again — because that can put a lot of pressure on your muscles and cause them to snap. Try changing your own routine from time to time to take the pressure off the same group of muscles and engage other muscles.
4. You can become a social media influencer
Every business should use social media platforms to market and promote its products and services. You are no different. The only difference here is your product/service. In order to attract more students, you have to upload dance routines and videos online. Basically, building personal branding and a personal image will help you attract more students. It will also increase your social presence, which you can take advantage of.
5. You can get a head-start in the industry
As I mentioned earlier, pole fitness is a relatively new industry. If you start now, you will have little competition and can also be an industry leader. You can have your own pole fitness studio in your local community and attract people who, before you, had no idea what pole fitness was.
I had you at becoming a social media influencer, didn’t I? Now that you are interested, I will tell you how to become a pole fitness instructor.
How to Become a Pole Fitness Instructor?
There are 5 simple steps to becoming a pole fitness instructor. The process is straightforward. If you follow these steps, you can start teaching pole fitness in no time. Without hesitation, let’s take a look at the process:
1. Master the pole fitness skill
The very first step in becoming an instructor is to have enough knowledge about what you are teaching. Start by taking pole fitness classes, and some dance classes, as well as visiting the gym regularly to strengthen your muscles. You can take pole fitness classes as long as you want. What’s important is for you to feel confident about the number of techniques and body strength you have. That confidence will help you feel assured and comfortable with teaching.
Take as much time as you need while learning. It is important that you feel at home in the studio and confident on the pole. You also need to learn routines and performances so well so you can talk about them in words. Another critical factor is to know how to teach beginner students and gradually add to their skill-set.
If you want a bulletproof career and no doubts about your professionalism, you can apply for professional classes and get a certification. The same one we spoke about earlier that costs less than $1000.
2. Care for safety
As you have already noticed, I’m talking about safety every once in a while. That’s because safety is really critical in pole dancing. If you get injured, your career as a pole fitness teacher may suffer. If your students get injured, it’s a nightmare you really don’t want to deal with.
Safety is your number one concern. You need to take care of your class and ensure students are not over-exhausting themselves. If a student wants to learn a new move or routine, but you feel like they are not ready yet, it is your responsibility to control the excitement and prepare them with the right exercises. This way, the student will acquire the skills needed to try the new move or routine, and you will be confident that no harm will be done.
You have to be extremely careful with students who have never tried this type of fitness exercise before. You have to know where to put crash mats for each move. Doesn’t matter whether you are using a fixed pole or a portable one; always, always make sure the thing is rock solid. It’s your responsibility to ensure that the class environment is safety optimized.
3. Build social media presence
You are not selling your classes, you are selling your skills. That’s why it’s crucial to have a personal branding strategy and stick to it. Students want to connect with their instructor. You have to be approachable and easy to communicate with. You can even hang out with your students outside the studio. These are all important points for having friendly, comfortable classes that students would love to attend and even refer to their friends.
Social media is a great place for building a personal image. You can talk about yourself, share your daily lifestyle, show off your moves with videos, talk about your classes, and promote them.
Start by creating an Instagram account. I’m suggesting Instagram because it’s a visual-based platform that is great for sharing videos and images of yourself on the pole. Make sure your contact information is on your accounts. Interested students will email and DM you with inquiries, and you need to get back to them as fast as you can and start a conversation with them. The contact information you have to share are your business phone number, email, and your website.
People who join pole dancing classes are usually confident with their body image. Seize the opportunities and post stories of your classes. Once your students talk about you on social media, the word gets out. That, combined with a digital marketing strategy, increases awareness about you, and you will find more students.
4. Be passionate about teaching
You are a teacher. Your job is to transfer your knowledge to your students. You will face challenging students who struggle with learning new moves. It’s your job to help them out and be compassionate because you have most likely overcome the same struggles while learning.
Having a passion for teaching is a must. Having the skill itself and being talented will not do the job. While attending classes, focus on your pole dancing instructors teaching methods and try to learn their teaching styles. That helps you later in your own classes because you have to bring enthusiasm to your students and be able to help them out when they are struggling. You don’t want your students to think you are not passionate about what you teach.
5. Build your local community
So, we already know that most people don’t know about pole fitness since it’s a relatively new fitness skill. To have students attend your classes, you need to build a community. Start by getting to know other studios in your city, like dance studios and gyms. Introduce yourself to dance studio owners around you and offer the opportunity to promote each other’s classes. After getting permission from the owner, visit gyms in your area and talk to members and introduce pole fitness to them. You have to be a leader in your community so people who are into fitness would talk about you.
6. Learn how to run a business
If you want to have your own pole fitness studio, you need to know how to run a business. Even as a self-employed pole fitness instructor, you need to know the basics of customer relationship management, marketing, scheduling classes, invoicing, and payment strategies. A business management solution can help you take care of the administrative side of your business. RunSensible is a suitable solution, even when you are just starting your career. With our software for dance studios, you can easily manage your classes and set up online booking calendars for easier planning. You can also take care of payments by creating and tracking invoices. RunSensible also offers an email marketing tool that allows you to run campaigns and promote your business, converting more enthusiasts into pole dancing students.
How Much Do Pole Fitness Instructors Make?
Alright now, let’s talk money. In this section, I will break down all the statistics and talk about the pole fitness teacher’s salary. The numbers I’m giving you are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data about the industry.
Pole Fitness Instructor Salary Facts
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pole fitness instructors, on average, can make an annual salary of $40,970 which means their hourly wage is somewhere around $20. If they are just starting out, the amount of money they make can be around $11 per hour, which is $23,280 annually. Although, with enough experience and awareness, they can make up to $70,180 a year, which means $34 per hour.
Now, experience is not the only factor that can affect a pole fitness instructor’s income. Location is a huge factor in how much pole fitness instructors are making. Since pole fitness is a relatively ‘niche’ market, the hourly wage can vary significantly from city to city and area to area. For example, bigger cities usually have a higher demand for pole fitness classes.
As a pole fitness instructor, the best cities to work in are New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. There are lots of pole fitness studios in these cities, and for that reason, they are a pole fitness instructor’s heaven.
On the other hand, smaller towns and less-populated cities usually have a lesser demand for pole dancing classes. Two main reasons why this happens are first, because the niche market in these cities is not as large as big cities. Second, in smaller towns, chances are that people have never actually heard of pole fitness.
In smaller towns, a pole fitness instructor will probably make around $11 per hour, which, as I have mentioned already, is the low range of the hourly wage.
Want my advice? Start teaching in your local town. Gain more experience in teaching and also in the pole dancing skill itself. Ask for feedback from your students and see how they review their experience with you. Then, once you feel confident with how you are doing as an instructor and feel like you can manage bigger classes with more students, consider moving to a bigger city.
Does Education Matter?
You may wonder, does education matter when you want to become a pole fitness instructor? The answer is no. Education has nothing to do with teaching pole fitness and also does not affect the income. Because pole fitness is a skill, you will learn in dedicated classes. The same classes you are hoping to teach. In fact, I can tell you that 16.2% of pole fitness instructors only have a high school diploma and 1.2% are actually Ph.D. graduates. The only education you need for teaching pole fitness is learning the skill itself.
Pole Fitness Instructor Job Growth
The Bureau of Labor estimated that by 2024, there would be 302,500 people in the career. The career growth rate is still below the average national rate. If you start today, you will still be a leader in the industry since the career growth is low, and there’s still room for competition.
Don’t Hesitate, Start Today!
If you really are passionate about becoming a pole fitness instructor, this is your sign. I gave you all the information you need about this career, and now it’s all up to you. Being a pole dancing instructor is a great opportunity to make good money out of something you love doing. And, don’t worry about the whole running the business side. RunSensible can automate all of your administrative work. If you want to see for yourself, create an account and use the free trial. You can also contact us, and we will give you a demo. With RunSensible, the only thing you need to focus on is teaching your classes. We will take care of the rest!
FAQ
What is pole fitness?
Pole fitness is a trending, hot exercise that combines dance moves and strength training with only one piece of equipment needed: a fixed pole.
Is pole fitness good exercise?
Definitely. Pole dancing helps balance, lose weight, train muscles, and overall achieve a toned figure.
Do you have to be skinny to do pole fitness?
Not exactly. You don’t have to be skinny to do pole fitness; you have to be fit! As long as you have strong muscles, you are good to go.
How many calories do you burn in an hour of pole fitness?
You can burn approximately 250-350 calories per hour.
Is pole fitness inappropriate?
Not. At. All. It’s a valid, trending, and effective fitness method that’s no different than any other type of dance.
