Pole dancers and acrobats perform demanding hours of activity, often leading to muscle soreness, inflammation, and pain in the legs and feet. Warming up and cooling down can still leave you feeling stiff the next day, so finding an excellent alternative to help combat the problem is necessary. Some take supplements and vitamins for a boost, but another method exists.
Compression socks or stockings can help improve endurance and recovery during training and performance. Adequate support in the legs and feet can also ensure more confidence when tackling challenging moves, dances, or poses.
Compression socks, sleeves, or stockings have become popular among many athletes, including those who pole dance or perform acrobatics. Here is an inside look at how compression socks support and aid those activities.
What are Compression Socks?
Compression socks or stockings are specifically designed to put a specific amount of pressure on the lower legs, ankles, and feet. They work primarily to improve and maintain blood flow back up to the heart.
Acrobats and pole dancers often do repetitive movements, and that strenuous activity can eventually lead to fatigue, which results in poor performance and sometimes injury. Compression stockings are good for helping to prevent fatigue or muscle soreness by keeping the blood flowing.
You can find many cute compression stockings at stores, online, or, if you want a more specific pressure grade, through a doctor’s prescription. The variety, styles, and lengths available offer varying grades of pressure.
Knee-high socks may be more comfortable or easier to put on, but thigh-high socks can be helpful for pole dancers and acrobats who have to perform movements that cause friction above the knee. Stockings go all the way up to provide the most coverage, and many of them have higher compression ratings.
How Do Compression Socks Benefit Pole Dancers and Acrobats?
Besides improving blood flow, there are other advantages for pole dancers and acrobats wearing compression socks. Here are some of the benefits that they offer:
- Extra support: Compression provides firm support that reduces the vibration and friction of muscles, joints, and ligaments, helping improve movement. You’ll experience less muscle tearing during repeated movements and impact with the ground.
- Increases lymphatic drainage: The lymph muscles transport waste away from cells, and it goes back into the blood to be rid of when you urinate. Improving the amount of waste drainage from your cells can improve healing and recovery after any type of exercise.
- Muscle protection: Compression garments help reduce the impact force on the muscles during these repeated movements, resulting in less inflammation and swelling. Acrobats and pole dancers feel far less tired during recovery after training or a performance.
- Vein support: If you have varicose veins or are worried about poor blood circulation in your legs making your veins more visible, compression socks can help reduce the appearance and relieve any associated pain.
Compression socks or stockings can be worn before, during, and after training sessions and performances. The main idea behind compression is that the better blood flow provided to your leg muscles during exercise will help you perform at your best and have an easier recovery.
How to Find the Right Compression
There is a bit of a trick to wearing compression socks that make them work their best. You should roll them inside out to the ankle, put your foot in, and slowly roll them up while smoothing the fabric as you go upward. You want to get the coverage as evenly from the leg to the foot as possible.
The key to finding the best compression is one that is “just right,” as in – it’s not too tight and not too loose. If it’s too tight, the compression could potentially cut off blood flow and cause more harm than good.
There are typically a few common types of socks or stockings you can invest in, which include:
- Graduated compression: this label means that the pressure will be provided the most around the ankle, gradually reducing as the sock goes upward. These are ideal for mobility and have different lengths and strengths.
- Nonmedical support stockings: These hosiery don’t require a prescription, but the uniform pressure exerted will be less than that of prescription stockings. They deliver the same benefits, so you’ll still get the pressure and the blood flow boost. These may be ideal if you’re just looking to try out compression without committing just yet.
Most other types of compression socks or stockings require a doctor’s prescription. If you want to improve your performance as a pole dancer or acrobat, it’s not a bad idea to talk to your doctor or healthcare professional to get the correct size and fit for your legs.
Get Support with Compression
If you spend a lot of time pole dancing or performing acrobatics, you can incorporate compression socks for your warm-ups, training sessions, and even performances. You’ll provide yourself with the support you need to help reduce inflammation and sore muscles, increase your endurance, and improve your recovery time, keeping you feeling your best.
To connect with other pole dancers and acrobats, share experiences, and learn more about recovery techniques, join our Facebook group ‘Pole & Aerial Events: Sharing Experiences‘.
