A hula hoop is typically considered a child's toy, but it is becoming more common in adult workouts. Whether you twirl a hula hoop at home or take a hula hoop exercise class, the workout adds a youthful entertainment aspect to burning calories. The weight loss results from hula hooping depend on several factors, from your choice of hoops to intensity level of your workout.
Effort Required
To use the hula hoop, you twirl your midsection maintaining a steady rotation to keep the hula hoop moving. The motion targets the core and abdominal muscles since the middle section of the body is what keeps the hula hoop rotating. The legs and glutes are also engaged to provide a solid base for the motion. The action itself raises your heart rate, particularly when performed for more than a couple minutes. Your arms are raised to the sides or above your head which means resistance on your arm muscles for additional workout benefits.
Calories Burned
A 30-minute hula hooping session burns an average of 210 calories, according to the American Council on Exercise. This translates to about 7 calories for every minute you hula hoop. In the beginning, you may have difficulty keeping the hoop moving for longer periods of time. As you improve your skills and increase your endurance, you'll be able to hula hoop for longer stretches to burn more calories in one session.
Increasing Workout
Adjustments to the workout and the type of hula hoop increase the intensity of the workout and the number of calories you burn. A more intense movement burns more calories than a slower pace. A heavier hoop is easier to keep in motion. For beginners, this can mean fewer stops and starts in the hula hooping session, which keeps your heart rate up. It also means you're burning calories more consistently. Weighted hula hoops are available up to 4 lbs. Adding in alternative hula hoop exercises offers you a well-rounded workout routine. For a toning move that doesn't involve twirling the hula hoop, hold the hoop in front of you or above your head as you twist your body back and forth. Another option is to twirl the hoop around your arms for an upper body workout. Add music to keep the pace steady for your hula hooping workout.
Comparison
Hula hooping compares to other calorie-burning cardio workouts like stepping, kickboxing and boot camp workouts, according to the American Council on Exercise. The organization also notes that hula hooping fits the recommendations for weight management exercises. If hula hooping is an exercise you enjoy, you are more likely to engage in it regularly to burn calories, which translates to weight loss when you also eat a healthy diet.
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