Did you have a hula hoop when you were a kid? I think I had about ten of them. I could hula hoop for hours. We played games with them, jumped rope with them and even chased them down the hill in our neighborhood. It was a great toy to keep us kids active and healthy. Luckily, hula hooping is back! It has been reinvented as a fun workout. Now we can relive our childhood by hula hooping ourselves into better shape.
Hula hooping has been used as a calorie burning workout for a number of years. There’s even a workout called Hoopnotica that blends hula hooping with dance to really burn calories. It’s used in conjunction with aerobics classes in gyms all over. It’s a really fun exercise that can add some spice to your workout.
Hula hooping uses all the muscles in your midsection. This area is a trouble spot for many women so this type of exercise may be appealing to them. You can work your core while burning calories and fat instead of doing two separate workouts such as Pilates and jogging. It can be a great workout for days that you are pressed for time or when you can’t get to the gym. You can do a hula hoop workout anywhere.
You can start with the basic hula hoop move. If you haven’t done it in a while, it might feel funny but it will come back to you. Start with one foot in front of the other and the hula hoop pressed against your back. Spin the hoop and rock back and forth. After you do that for a while, you can try it with the feet even while rotating your hips around to keep the hoop going. This movement is great for toning your abs. Crank up some music and work up to 20 or 30 minutes.
Once you’ve mastered basic hula hooping, you can move onto a weighted hula hoop. It should be about 3 or 4 pounds and will be easier to get going but will be a great workout for your core. You can also work your arms by holding one out straight and rotating it in small circles to keep the hoop going. There are smaller hoops you can purchase for your arms and legs if you find the regular size is too difficult.
There are even videos available online that include hula hooping routines. You can make up your own routines too. For example, you can hula hoop for 2 minutes and then jump rope for 2 minutes, hula hoop for 2 minutes then do squats for two minutes, etc. There is an endless variety of routines you can create. Overall, hula hooping can be a great calorie burning and core toning workout. You can do it alone, find a class or even involve your kids. Give it a try, you’ll love it!
- Jennifer
Note: If you have back problems hula hooping may not be the workout for you.
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Labels: Exercise, healthy tips, Jennifer, Physical Activity
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Keep it fun, right! I actually wrote about this about a year ago. I love that people can find ways to keep fit & change it up! Lots of things to do out there!