Hula hooping is a great aerobic activity, especially if you can maintain the motion for 10 minutes or longer. Hula hoops can be a fun way to burn calories and whittle your waist. It has caught on big time. Thousands of adults all over the world are hula hooping, in classes or informal groups and there are even instructors for hula hooping.
Hoop
You need to pick the right size hoop for you. Peter McCall from the American Council on Exercise recommends a hoop that reaches between your waist and your chest when it's standing vertically on the ground. The smaller and lighter the hoop, the more energy you have to expend to keep it going. The bigger and heavier it is, the easier it is to keep going. A general guideline is the bigger you are, the bigger the hoop needs to be.
How
You don't have to be coordinated to hula hoop. Practice is the key. To start, hold the hoop against your back right above your waist. Place one foot in front of the other and then push the hoop around your waist. Shift your weight back and forth from one foot to the other will keep the hoop moving. Don't move your hips with the hoop. It actually makes hooping harder. Shifting your weight from foot to foot is more of a rocking motion. It can take some time to get the hang of the movement, so be patient.
Benefits
Hula hooping is fun, but it truly works. An hour of hooping can burn as many calories as a 60-minute session on a treadmill. Using various moves you can get a full body workout, target your buttocks and thighs, and even work your biceps and triceps. In a study reported on Hooping.org, they found, as a newbie, you could burn 210 calories per 30-minute session. The better you get, the more energy you'll use.
Warning
If you have or have had back problems, you shouldn't hula hoop, according to Dr. Edward Laskowski from MayoClinic.com. Hula hooping can also cause bruising when first starting out. They will eventually go away but you should stop and let them heal. After awhile you won't bruise anymore. However, if you're on blood thinner medication, you might want to avoid hula hooping to prevent more serious bruising. The weighted hoops can cause more bruising than the regular ones.
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