Does Hula Hooping Help You Lose Weight?

Celebrities love the hula hoop! From First Lady Michelle Obama to Beyonce and even Zoey Deschanel, the hula hoop reigns supreme as an ab-tastic fitness regimen for the A-list crowd.

Hula hooping burns about seven calories a minute, amps up the heart for a great cardio workout and helps trim down the waist. The benefits are numerous, which is why many trainers have encouraged celebrities to jump in the hoop.

Losing inches is a major body perk of the waist-rotating workout, however swirling those hips around a hoop also helps nudge down the numbers on the scale.

Kelly Osbourne, who serves as one of the judges on the show Project Runway Junior, credits hooping for helping her lose 70 pounds. In an interview with Self Magazine, Osbourne proclaimed her love of the hula hoop.

“I have a Hoopnotica hula hoop. I use it every day, and it's made my back and arms stronger, and my waist has gone down 2 inches!” Osbourne said in her interview. “On Saturday nights my friends and I put on ridiculous outfits and hula-hoop and dance when everyone else is at 'da club.' We call it #HipHopAnonymous. Adam Lambert is in it. We live in the same building, and random people show up. The next morning you're like, 'Oh, my God, I'm so sore,' but you had the best night ever."

Workouts with the hoop introduce hooping ingénues to a new world of physical fitness.  While the hoop is easy to use and the workout provides ideal results, new hoopers should keep a few things in mind when using the hoop for weight loss.

Learn how to use the hoop as fitness equipment.

Invest in a great hooping fitness DVD to learn how to use the hoop as a fitness tool. Basic hooping that you learned as a child provides benefits, but an instructional DVD will show how to integrate levels of fitness into the hoop. Of course, having a virtual instructor also helps, too!

Open up the space.

Hooping should be done in an open area for optimal room to maneuver. Remember, a hoop workout goes beyond simple waist rotations. Plenty of space will be needed to move with the hoop. When bad weather hits, make sure to have space inside to dedicate to the workout.

Write a fitness plan.

Many resolve to lose weight or maintain a better fitness plan, but few actually stick to the resolution until the end. Setting a big goal means setting a bunch of smaller goals. Write out a plan of fitness, and stick to it. Schedule workouts each week, but make the schedule attainable. Mark workouts on the calendar as you would any commitment. If a workout is missed, reschedule. Don’t give up on the goal!

Hoop for both fun and fitness!

Losing weight and physical fitness should not feel like a punishment. Remember, the hoop is also a toy in the eyes of many kids. The hoop was invented for fun! So motivate yourself to hoop by setting a positive upbeat mood during workouts. Like Osbourne, create your own workout #squadgoals. Be sure to include a fantastic soundtrack to get everyone moving. Grab The Pixies, some Rage Against the Machine, some Florence & the Machine…or even some Yeezy! Whatever music knocks your socks off, just play it loud!

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Hooping has become a favored fitness routine for many celebrities, and the results are enviable. Whether hoopers want to nip in the waistline, tone the abs or just feel the burn, the hoop provides a knock-out workout. As New Year’s approaches, set fitness goals to feel good and look good…and get ready to jump in the hoop!