humans of leap: aarifa bhinderwala
first a practitioner and then the pioneer of pole fitness in india – aarifa bhinderwala is the founder of pole burnt, and the indian director of xpole india, and this is her story.
“the first time i walked into a pole fitness class, i was armed with zero expectations – and too much moisturiser.
i slipped, i fumbled, i laughed at myself. but the feeling of spinning? that was something else. it felt therapeutic, almost meditative. and so i showed up again. and again. and soon enough, i was hooked.
how this began and boiled into what it is today is a story that happened over the last ten years, but has been in the making all my life. growing up, i was certain of two things – rhythm didn’t come easy to me, and doing something out of the ordinary did.
so, when i accidentally stumbled into a pole class while visiting my sister in australia in 2014, the ‘yes’ came from a place of pure intrigue. and of course, my mum, who happened to be my first cheerleader!
that class wasn’t planned. my mother and i were visiting my sister in australia, and while looking for things to do in the neighborhood, i randomly stumbled upon a studio offering pole classes. curiosity got the best of me - so i walked in. and it wasn’t long before i found myself drawn deeper into the world of pole. my teacher, heidi, was incredibly encouraging. she never made me feel like i wasn’t strong enough, never made me question whether i belonged in that room. pole was hard, but it felt good. and that was enough for me to keep going.
as i trained, i sought out the best in the field—pole champions across the world. learning from them, pushing my limits, and refining my technique was an experience in itself. and speaking of mentors, working with x-pole changed everything for me. they played a huge role in my journey, guiding me, mentoring me, and helping me take pole fitness to where it is today in india.
pole was never just about movement—it was energy, confidence, clarity. i loved how it made me feel.
so i started training at home, committing fully to the sport. my mother – a school principal who always told me, “whatever you do, be the best at it” – watched as i turned our house into my practice space. she had raised me to believe that ambition wasn’t optional. my sister, a gynaecologist, was another source of inspiration. the women in my family never did anything halfway, and pole fitness wasn’t going to be any different for me.
it started small. a handful of students, makeshift training spaces. but over time, word spread. women showed up – some for fitness, some for fun, and some simply to prove to themselves that they could do it. and as they climbed, spun, and moved, i saw something familiar. that same shift. the realisation that their bodies were capable of so much more than they had ever been told.
that’s thing about pole, it’s a paradox.
it’s dynamic yet grounding, freeing yet disciplined. it challenges you, yet makes you feel at home in your own skin. i’ve explored so many forms of movement, but nothing gave me the stillness that pole did. being upside down made everything make sense.
i was supported not just by my family, but by my students, the people around me and the media. the response i received was one of curiosity, encouragement, and recognition. i was even honored with an award by the chief minister of maharashtra for innovation and dynamism in my field—proof that pole fitness was being embraced as something bigger than just a niche workout. i’ve always worked hard to make sure that everything i do aligns with this vision—to make pole fitness relatable, accessible, and a safe space for women.
women of all ages come to my classes—professionals, business owners, mothers, students. each one comes in with their own expectations, their own journey. and for most of them, the biggest surprise is not just what pole does for their body, but what it does for their mind.
it shifts the focus from how you look to what you can do. you stop obsessing over numbers on a scale or fitting into a certain size, and instead, you start celebrating your own strength.
one of my students once told me, “the confidence you build in class doesn’t stay there. you carry it with you.” and that’s exactly it.
at first, it’s just about getting through the class. you grip the pole tighter, you fight against gravity, you push past the fear of falling. and then, one day, you’re not thinking about the mechanics anymore. you’re moving. freely, instinctively, powerfully.
marrying an art form that demands grace with an athletic pursuit isn’t easy. most movement forms are structured, even rigid. pole, on the other hand, gives you the freedom to create your own style. it allows you to interpret movement in a way that feels natural to you. for us women, that’s rare.
and rare things have power.
it doesn’t come easy. the burns, the bruises, the calloused hands – every perfect move you see in a video has taken a hundred failed attempts. graceful movement isn’t something you’re necessarily born with—it’s something you build with practice. and pole has taught me that more than anything else.
over the years, i’ve witnessed a change that was a mere dream not too long ago – the rise of pole fitness as a real, legitimate sport and also as an alternative form of fitness. it’s shedding the many definitions, new studios are opening, curiosity is rising, and slowly but surely, the stigma is fading. it’s still a long way from being as common as a gym membership, but the shift is palpable :)
nothing drove this home more than the day i was invited to conduct a pole workshop in a corporate setting in a tier-2 city – something most people would find hard to believe. watching a room full of professionals abandon their inhibitions and trust their bodies was proof of what i had believed all along: pole isn’t a fad. it’s here to stay.
at the end of the day, pole fitness is more than just a workout. it is an investment in yourself. it takes courage to walk into your first class. it takes grit to keep going. and for women, it’s often the first time they experience movement as something joyful, as a tool for self-expression.
today, pole is not just my passion. it’s my purpose and my contribution to the world. watching a student finally nail a move she’s struggled with, and seeing the entire class celebrate her win – that’s what makes it worth it.
if there’s one thing i’ve learned, it’s this: the magic lies in showing up. over and over again, even when it’s hard. even when you slip. even when you don’t feel ready. because if you keep showing up, you’ll realise – one day – you’re not just moving.
you’re flying :)
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