Discussion
The present randomized controlled trial examined psychological effects of pole dance. Despite its increasing popularity [In the present study, the largest effect was observed for the primary outcome of mental wellbeing. These results support previous findings from qualitative research suggesting that pole dance may be empowering for women [Pole dance has become a popular and accessible amateur physical activity and is characterized by its sexually liberating notion and increasing societal de-stigmatization [Notwithstanding the strengths of the present study, such as the randomized controlled.design and its novelty with respect to the area of pole dance, limitations need to be reflected. First, the regulations during the COVID-19 lockdown did not allow for group classes. Therefore, a putative socialization effect mentioned in previous studies [