In an age when high-tech equipment seems to be the name of the game, many people are taking a back-to-basics approach to fitness. For some, back to basics implies a return to childhood. Many people remember a marvelous toy known as the hula hoop. Today, aside from providing a whirl of a good time, the hula hoop offers an excellent workout.
History of the Hoop
Although the hula hoop was officially invented in the 1950s, Egyptian tomb drawings dating back to 1000 B.C. depict people playing with vine and wooden hoops. At the time, the hoop was either propelled along the ground or whirled around the waist. There was also a hooping craze in 14th century England. Unfortunately, doctors began to attribute back problems and heart attacks to hooping. Centuries later, in 1957, an Australian company created a wooden hoop that was sold as a child's toy. This inspired Richard P. Knerr and Arthur K. Melin, of Wham-O, a California company, to manufacture brightly colored plastic hoops.
Features of Fitness Hoops
Hooping requires coordination. Some people have it. Others do not. When the hula hoop was reborn as a fitness device, twirl-challenged individuals worried if they could really achieve benefits if they could not keep the hoop above their waist. Fortunately, today's hoops are larger and heavier. Apparently, this makes them easier to use. Some companies now make weighted hoops with magnetic acupuncture balls on the interior surface. While these companies make various claims about the health benefits of the magnets and acupuncture balls, there is no research supporting this opinion.
Benefits
If you can maintain the hooping activity for at least 20 minutes, it is a viable form of aerobic exercise. Additionally, an article on the Arthritis Today website suggests that the circular movements of hula hooping may help alleviate some of the symptoms of arthritis. Hula hoop exercise can also be used to enhance agility, coordination and athleticism.
Expert Insight and Speculations
In March, 2004, the "Journal of Biological Cybernetics" published an article by Ramesh Balasubramaniam titled "Coordination Modes in the Multisegmental Dynamics of Hula Hooping. " In his research at the Sensory Motor Neuroscience Group at the University of Birmingham, Balasubramaniam found that lower limb coordination plays a significant role in controlling the oscillations of the hoop. One could speculate that hooping might be beneficial for improving this type of coordination.
Potential
Balasubramaniam believes that his research can be taken one step further. Since hooping involves balancing a hoop on the waist by moving the lower limbs, it's the perfect mechanism for exploring the workings of the central nervous system. As such, he envisioned the potential of hooping for stroke victims and people with other neurological disorders.
Time Frame
For an exercise to be effective, it must be progressive. Over time, you will become proficient at hooping. Adding additional hoops will make it more challenging.
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