The Hula Hoop was a fun part of many people’s childhoods, but now many adults are picking up the hoop again and finding a fun way to burn calories and improve their health.
Gyms across the country are starting to hold “hooping” classes of various sorts, from hoop dancing to “Hoopnotica”. More people are remembering the fun hooping was in their childhood and finding a great cardio, fat-burning workout. Hooping for an hour can burn nearly as many calories as a cardio boot camp class, approximately 420 calories per hour. Even just 10 minutes of hooping can be enough to improve your overall fitness level.
Hula hooping can not only burn fat and calories, but also has been proven to:
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Improve balance and coordination
- Improve flexibility and range of motion in the spine
- Increase energy levels
- Tone muscles in core, around knees, glutes, hips, and thighs
By using the hoop on your arms, you can tone and strengthen your shoulders and forearms. Additionally, hooping can reduce stress and serve as a form of meditation as you are focusing and concentrating on keeping the hoop moving. It’s a different type of workout offering a mind-body connection.
If you are interested in hooping and can’t find any classes held in the Harrisburg area, try some hooping DVDs to start out in the comfort of your own home. There are numerous sites online offering a variety of hoop workouts. You will need to purchase an adult size hoop which will be heavier and larger than a child’s hoop. Typically an adult hoop should be 36-42” from the floor to the top of the hoop, and weigh between 1 and 5 pounds.
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