The Secret to Hula Hooping for Beginners

Are you looking for a way to shed pounds and improve your figure? Have you tried the gym, running or various other types of exercise, only to find that they bore you or haven’t given you the results that you are looking for? If so, then you have come to the right place!

There’s a form of exercise that isn’t expensive, certainly isn’t boring, and can help you shed pounds and improve your figure – and fast! What is it? Hula hooping!

According to the E! Fashion Police star, Kelly Osbourne, hula hooping is an excellent form of exercise that can provide fast results. In fact, Osbourne says that she has lost 2 inches from her waistline in just 5 days by hula hooping for only 10 minutes each day. Wow! Those are some pretty dramatic results!

So, is Kelly Osbourne’s claim about hula hooping true? Can this simple and fun childhood game really help you lose weight and get in shape? The answer is a resounding YES!

If you’re interested in learning more about hula hooping for weight loss, here’s everything you need to know about this fantastic form of exercise.

The Health Benefits of Hula Hooping

According the American Council on Exercise, the leading fitness authority in the United States and the most renowned nonprofit fitness organization in the world, working out with a hula hoop can provide incredible health benefits.

The Council commissioned a team from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse’s exercise and health program to test and determine whether or not hula hooping is an effective form of exercise. The team, which was lead by Jordan Holthusen, M.S. and John Porcari, PhD, found that hula hooping does, indeed, provide a total-body workout. Working out with a hula hoop can improve flexibility and balance, while also strengthening the muscles in the back, abdomen, arms and legs.

This study also found that, in addition to the aforementioned health benefits, hula hooping burns, on average, 210 calories during a 30-minute workout – that’s 420 calories per hour! This type of calorie burn is similar to the amount of calories that are burned during boot camp-style exercise classes, step aerobics and cardio kickboxing – and hula hooping is far less grueling. Additionally, the study found that hooping can also improve cardiovascular health.

The researchers involved in the study conducted by the American Council on Exercise concluded that hula hooping is a fun and relaxing form of exercising, which also has the potential to provide meditative effects because of its rhythmic nature.

How to Get Started Hula Hooping

With all of these benefits, you are probably thinking to yourself: ‘Yes! I definitely want to give hula hooping a try!’ And who can blame you? – What have you got to lose? (Well, weight and inches from your waistline, of course! And those are excellent things to lose.)

So, how do you get started with a hula hooping exercise regiment? Here are some tips to guide you on the path to success.

Get the Right Hula Hoop

Yes, you can see results by using a kid’s hula hoop; however, if you really want to see results (like the kind Kelly Osbourne has seen) you are going to want to get yourself the right hoop. A weighted hula hoop is the way to go. They have weights built in, which obviously makes them heavier and helps you lose weight, build muscle, tone your figure and improve your cardiovascular health – all the benefits listed by the American Council on Exercise; plus, a weighted hoop is easier to use.

In addition to choosing a hoop that is weighted, you’re also going to want to make sure that you choose a hula hoop that properly fits your waist. To determine the right diameter, measure from your belly button to the floor; this measurement is the diameter you should choose for your first hoop.

Shopping for Your Hoop

There are so many places you can shop for a hula hoop in varying sizes. Online retailers are more reliable at getting you high quality, custom hoops.

Practical Tips for Beginning Hula Hoopers

You can certainly toss your hula hoop over your head and start wiggling your waist, like you did when you were a kid, to get it going; however, if you want to make sure you are comfortable and you want to see results, keep these tips in mind:

o   Practice the movements without your hoop. Doing so will allow your body to get the feel for the movements before adding the weight of the hoop to your waist.

o   Hoop with bare skin. You don’t have to be completely naked (unless you want to, of course) however, try wearing a sports bra or a crop top so that skin on your abdomen and waist are exposed. Your bare skin will create traction for the hula hoop, which will make it less likely to slip, and cause less frustration.

o   Turn your body in the direction the hoop is going. If your hula hoop is spinning left, turn your body to the left; if it’s spinning to the right, turn your body to the right. You’ll have a far easier time keep the hoop up when you move your body with it.

o   Experiment with your hula hooping exercise routine. Try different hoop sizes and weights, as well as new movements and tricks. Get creative and see what type of cool moves you can come up with.

o   Take a hula hooping exercise class or buy an instructional DVD. You’ll learn awesome tips and tricks that will really allow you to reap the benefits of hula hooping.

If you’re looking for a fun and creative exercise routine that provides incredible results, then you simply have to get on board with hula hooping!