‘The moves were simple and I was confident’
Elevated Fitness offers pole fitness, aerial dance lessons
The last thing Natalie Haskell of Yuba City expected to find at a pole dancing class her friends took her to for a bachelorette party was an inspiration for a new passion and career.
“I thought it was going to be a club setting and I thought the instructor would try to make us strip down,” Haskell said.
However, her experience was different. She said the class was empowering, artistic and great for fitness.
“It was amazing. The moves were simple and I was confident,” Haskell said.
Shortly after her bachelorette event, Haskell took additional pole fitness classes and learned the art of aerial dance. Her skill level increased so much that her instructors encouraged her to assist in instructing and eventually she started teaching her own classes.
She used to teach classes at Training Zone in Marysville and would park next to a vacant building. When the time came for her to invest in her own studio, she realized the potential of the vacant building she regularly parked next to. She turned it into Elevated Fitness. They celebrated the studio’s five-year anniversary in June.
“I started coming about a year ago,” said Teresa Klein, a member of Elevated Fitness.
She attends with her daughter, who is in her 20s.
Klein, 50, said she joined to get in shape and wanted to do something other than traditional workouts. She said she didn’t think she would be able to do all of the moves she can do now.
“I thought I was too old and I had no upper body strength. I’ve come a long way. Natalie makes us feel so comfortable and I feel better than I have in years,” Klein said.
Now, Haskell offers class for groups and personal training six days per week at her studio. She also competes in various pole and aerial competitions and also hosts shows inside of Elevated fitness. She said the number of visitors has increased over the years and people are more open minded about the idea of pole fitness. Each class has between eight and 10 guests.
“More people are seeing that it’s truly a sport,” Haskell said. “It’s even being propositioned to be in the Olympics.”
Haskell said her favorite part about being an instructor is watching how much the women who participate grow and feel better about themselves.
She encourages women age 16 and over to give her a fitness classes a try. The studio offers pole fitness and aerial dance lessons.
For more information, visit www.elevatedfit.net or call 3004202.