When you think of pole dancing, the first images that you probably conjure up are scantily clad dancers, gyrating around a metal pole.

So when I was given the chance to try out a Pole Star Fitness class in Wharf Road, Newton Abbot, I was a little bit wary. I need not have been, as these pole classes led by Hannah Bathard, are all about improving strength, fitness and endurance.... and boy did I ache the next day!

Hannah, who was brought up in Bovey Tracey, started the classes in September and already has a number of ladies on her books. The sessions are a first for the district.

'I've had a few mothers and daughters come along,' said Hannah, 24. 'Most are late teens or in their early 20s, but I also have a class of older ladies, one woman is 61. She is really good and always asks lots of questions.'

Hannah is quick to add that her classes are about fitness.

'For a start, the poles we use are static and don't spin. In clubs they use spinning poles so the dancers can do lots of moves all night but don't need to use as much strength,' she said.

'Also people who come to my classes dress in tracksuit bottoms and T-shirts and maybe later come in shorts as they progress. It's about fitness not sleaziness.

'Pole fitness tones your tummy and can improve your posture. The moves eventually become very acrobatic, it's like gymnastics in many respects.'

Hannah, who has a dance and sports background, came across pole dancing classes in Exeter and was hooked straight away.

'I was trained by instructor Catherine Johns

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