The hula hoop made its debut as a children's toy in the 1950s, but is back with a vengeance, this time with a focus on fitness. Hula hoops provide an excellent way to firm up your body, all while having plenty of nostalgic fun. Benefits include increased muscle tone, weight loss and cardiovascular fitness.
Muscle Tone
When you are hula hooping, your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes and abdominal muscles are constantly contracted. These muscles keep you balanced as well as allow you to rotate your body in tight, fast circles. This constant tension of muscles is a form of isometric exercise, and is excellent for developing muscle tone and definition. Isometric exercise is any exercise that does not involve your muscles' full -- or close to full -- range of motion.
Weight Loss
Hula hooping is also an excellent way to lose weight. As you hula hoop, your working muscles demand an increased source of energy. This energy comes from calories, either derived from fat or from glycogen. Hula hooping is a form of aerobic exercise, which burns a higher proportion of calories from fat. Hula hooping for 20 minutes or more, three to five times per week can lead to significant fat burning and weight loss, especially when combined with a reduced diet.
Considerations
While hula hooping can help you lose weight and tone the muscles in your legs and mid-section, it does not necessarily target weight loss in those areas. Everyone burns fat differently. Just because an exercise works certain areas of your body, does not mean that you will lose weight in those same areas. You may lose weight first in your arms and legs before you lose weight and reduce the size of your waist. However, with regular hula hooping, your body will eventually use fat from all areas of the body, leading to a reduced waist size.
Considerations
Though hula hooping can help with flexibility, muscle toning and cardiovascular conditioning, combine your exercise routine with a sensible diet to reap the most waist-slimming benefits. However, check with your doctor prior to beginning a hula hooping routine to ensure that this exercise is right for your particular situation.
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