Pole Expression, Sandy

Pole Expression founder Jennifer Wilkins blazes an alternative path to fitness by formulating pole-based workouts that are as fun as they are functional. A fitness columnist for Pole2Pole magazine who's also been on its cover, Wilkins has a strong industry presence that's won her and her method awards in Pole Dance International magazine for Best Instructor and Best Training Method. She's also a sponsor and a judge at the nation's largest pole-dancing championship.

Eschewing pole-bound acrobatics in favor of muscular isolations, the studio’s signature JW Pole Fitness classes utilize the signature support beam as a prop to help create muscle stability and burn calories, all without risk of injury. Because it doesn’t involve spins or inversions, the JW method is appropriate for students of any fitness level, and can even be employed to assist those overcoming injury or a childhood fear of lampposts. For those looking for a higher-energy exercise routine, pole-dancing classes exalt feminine curves through a graduated program that guides dancers from grounded moves to gymnastics-inspired toning to the saving of flags stuck high atop the Space Needle.

More traditional fitness comes in the form of Turbo Kick and yoga, which fosters flexibility through aligned posture and held poses, as well as Pilates classes, during which instructors target the torso's core muscles to boost bodily stability without fashioning toe rings made of lead. Check the studio's class calendar for a schedule of upcoming sessions.