Dragonfly Fitness and Training introduces a new exercise combo you never knew you needed
Thursday Dec. 29th, 2022
Kelly Carlson, photos by Sawyer Hoff
POLG-HUH? Dragonfly Fitness and Training is offering Polga – a mix of pole dancing and yoga – lessons in their studio.
Emily Balow, owner of Dragonfly Fitness & Training, has been focusing her classes on traditional Pole Dancing for several years. Upon discovering Polga at a Chicago conference, she instantly knew that it was something missing from the Eau Claire area’s fitness scene. After getting certified, Balow and a friend, Tara Graff, are ready to get the community in the studio to try some new (and familiar) moves.
“Students won’t need to fret (that) they’ll be asked to hang upside down, do any crazy spins or routines, or practice in stilettos like in more traditional pole classes,” they said. “While those things can be super fun, and certainly challenging physically, Polga is accessible to all!” Polga emphasizes the fusion of pole fitness and yoga, using the pole as a prop to facilitate deeper stretches and different strength exercises.
“It’s amazing how much more deeply you’re able to stretch your muscles by using the pole to push, pull, and just grip as you need to for a little balance assist,” they said. Emphasizing flexibility as the pole guides deeper stretches, Polga aims to help ensure greater mobility inside and outside of the gym. Folks can expect to see traditional yoga moves, such as downward dog, three-legged dog, and bridge pose, to be a bit reimagined. The pole is there to help guide the movement deeper than without it.
As the only two Polga-certified instructors in the city, they’re hoping that the excitement of something new and the sassiness that Polga brings encourages women and men to come in the doors. Classes will kick off every Tuesday and every other Sunday in January.
“We like to incorporate some playfulness in the poses, a little bit of sexy on the playlist, that sort of thing,” she said. “People love having a safe outlet to express themselves or move their bodies in a new way.”