Hooping for Health and Happiness

Hula hooping may have been an activity that you took part in as a child simply for fun, but did you know that there are actually many great health benefits of hooping? As an adult, it is an exciting way to keep fit that is likely different from the other types of exercise that you are engaging in. As an added bonus, through a variety of techniques you can target many different parts of the body for a comprehensive workout!

 

If the gym isn’t your favourite place to exercise, or you are simply wanting to try something new, then getting yourself a hula hoop could be a fantastic move for your health and your happiness!

 

The hula hoop has been in existence as a trademarked toy since Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin brought it to stores in America in the 1950’s. Ever since this time, it has been a popular choice for playtime for children, and increasingly so amongst adults as well!

 

For those that lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle thanks to their employment, such as those with desk jobs, some time spent hula hooping in the evening can be a great way to unwind and get active.

 

Hooping is the perfect choice for those who do not enjoy conventional exercise. This is because it is fun and can be done anywhere! It also doesn’t really involve any additional specialist equipment beyond comfortable clothing and the hoop itself.

Fight the Fat

Hula hooping is an amazing way to burn calories, and will generally use up approximately seven calories for every minute of moderate intensity hooping. This means that if you keep it up for just 30 minutes then you could burn approximately 210 calories!

 

 

Furthermore, when you do this exercise for long periods of time it is quite a good aerobic activity. This makes it especially useful for sustainable fat loss.  

Tone Your Core

Your core muscles have lots to gain when you exercise with a hula hoop. As you move your waist back and forth in a circular motion, you will be engaging the muscles of the abdomen and helping to strengthen them.

 

This simple act of moving the hoop around your body can do wonders for your abs. And, when combined with other similar exercises, can go a long way to helping you to really build and define these muscles.

Boost Your Stamina

As you progress with your hula hooping practice you will soon notice that you are able to do it for longer periods of time. This boost to your stamina can then extend to other exercises and activities that you are also undertaking as your overall fitness increases.

Flexibility and Balance

As well as being a fantastic way to stay fit and keep your weight under control, hula hooping can also help you to improve your flexibility and balance. Your hand-eye coordination can also experience noticeable improvements – especially if this is something that you are aware you have difficulty with. Aiming to hula hoop every day will be the best way to improve upon this. 

Increase Your Concentration

When you are just getting started with hooping then you will have to pay a lot of attention to keeping the hoop in motion. As you get more used to this activity, and the movements become more natural to you, then less attention will be required.

 

However, this is still great for your concentration. Even when you find you have to pay less attention to the actual hooping, you will still be consistently aware of your body and your surroundings. This can really help with how effectively you concentrate.

Relax Your Body

At first you may not perceive hooping to be a relaxing activity. However, as your skill improves you will begin to notice that it is quite a calming activity to undertake. It can help you to shed the stress of a long day, and to re-energise you to power through whatever else the day has yet to bring! 

 

The repetitive motion can be incredibly soothing, especially if you are partaking in this exercise after a long and tiring day! You may also try yoga for helping you to relax if this is something that you feel you could benefit from. 

Starting Your Workout

You can start working out with absolutely any kind of hoop! Some people prefer to use weighted hoops as they offer more resistance, therefore improving many of the amazing benefits! When you use a weighted hoop you will likely notice that your abs are toned more effectively! However, this will also be more difficult – so perhaps not ideal for complete beginners. 

 

You can find many great online tutorials for getting started with hooping, but it is also very simple to get going on your own. All you need is a hoop and a little bit of space! Choose loose fitting clothing and make sure that there is nothing nearby that you are going to bump into. For this reason you may find it better to do this outside. You can then place the hoop around your waist and spin it in one direction as you start moving your hips back and forth.

 

This may take you a few tries to get started, but once you have this rhythm under control you will find that is quite simple to keep it going. After a few minutes try reversing the motion so that you are spinning in the opposite direction. Once you become comfortable with this motion you can try walking a few steps whilst also keeping the hoop spinning.

 

You will soon be developing your own routines as your confidence grows and your ability progresses. Once you feel comfortable with your new hobby, you ,ay even be inspired to share it with your friends and family, and in doing so encourage more and more people to find health and happiness through hooping!

 

References

 

1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/338856-muscles-hula-hooping-work

2) http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-exercising-abs-hulahoop-1845.html