Pole dancing has been gaining popularity in recent years with more and more people taking it up as an enjoyable form of exercise. But is pole dancing a sport? While opinions may vary, we can look at the physical and mental demands that pole dancing requires to make an informed judgement. Physically, pole dancers must develop strength, flexibility, balance and coordination—all elements found in traditional sports like gymnastics or dance. Mentally, pole dancers require discipline and focus to be able to execute complex moves on the pole safely. From these aspects alone we can see that while it might not fit into our definition of ‘sport’, there’s no denying that pole dancing is a challenging activity which takes a great deal of skill and dedication!