
Science of Slink: The Evidence Based Pole Podcast with Dr. Rosy Boa
How to Rekindle Your Pole Spark: Capacity, Goals, Novelty, and Lowering Demands
Dr. Rosy Boa of Slink Through Strength discusses why long-term pole dancers may lose motivation and how to rebuild a sustainable relationship with pole. She flags that dreading hobbies and anhedonia can be a symptom of depression and encourages seeking mental health support if thatās present. Otherwise, she recommends: assessing overall life capacity and scaling pole to fit current energy (including taking breaks without fear of major strength loss), clarifying what you currently want from pole using a ābest possible selfā meditation or journaling to align training with changing goals, adding novelty through different teachers, movement styles, and music to increase play and awareness of preferences, and reducing perfectionistic demands by focusing on consistency and effort over outcomes while lowering setup friction to make showing up easier. Links and resources: Free sample class: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength.com/free-pole-flow-class Join my mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength/newsletter 2025 studio dance playlist (these are all songs members suggested/brought to class!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06yzGCF4wi22B8516YuhIZ?si=9226904ac6f54287 Citations : Carrillo, A., Rubio-Aparicio, M., Molinari, G., Enrique, Ć., SĆ”nchez-Meca, J., & Banos, R. M. (2019). Effects of the best possible self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 14(9), e0222386. De Kleine, E., & Van der Lubbe, R. H. (2011). Decreased load on general motor preparation and visual-working memory while preparing familiar as compared to unfamiliar movement sequences. Brain and Cognition , 75 (2), 126-134. Encarnação, I. G., Viana, R. B., Soares, S. R., Freitas, E. D., de Lira, C. A., & Ferreira-Junior, J. B. (2022). Effects of detraining on muscle strength and hypertrophy induced by resistance training: A systematic review. Muscles, 1(1), 1-15. Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2014). āThe perils of perfectionism in sportsā revisited: Toward a broader understanding of the pressure to be perfect and its impact on athletes and dancers. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 45(4), 395-407. Hall, H. K., & Hill, A. P. (2012). Perfectionism, dysfunctional achievement striving and burnout in aspiring athletes: The motivational implications for performing artists. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 3(2), 216-228. Heekerens, J. B., & Eid, M. (2021). Inducing positive affect and positive future expectations using the best-possible-self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(3), 322ā347. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1716052 King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 798ā807. Chapters: 00:00 Pole Spark Fizzles 00:25 About Me And Membership 01:55 Long Term Pole Relationship 03:10 Mental Health Red Flag 03:48 Check Your Capacity 07:46 Take Breaks Without Fear 08:42 Best Possible Self Goals 11:34 Add Novelty And Play 15:28 Reduce Demands And Friction 18:38 Recap And Next Steps 20:20 Closing And Free Resources

