Does Hula Hooping Count as Exercise?
By admin
If you’d prefer to hula hoop than hit the gym, you’re in luck: It might be just as effective. In fact, Kelly Osborne said hula hooping helped her whittle two inches from her waist, according to a recent interview. No doubt, she looks amazing. But can hula-hooping actually give you a good workout?
While hooping is just one part of Osbourne’s daily workout (she also says she runs intervals and does either weight training, yoga, or Pilates), hula hooping really can help you slim down: It burns about seven calories a minute, according to a 2010 study conducted at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. And while that might not sound like a lot, it’s about as much as you’d burn by walking briskly—and even more than you’d torch per minute in a power yoga, step aerobics, or Pilates class.
While hula hooping strengthens your core, and—depending on what you do with the hoop—can work the rest of your body, too, strength training still trumps hula hooping for sculpting lean muscle, says study author John Porcari, PhD, director of clinical exercise physiology at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. That said, swinging a hoop around your hips can be a pretty effective aerobic workout, he says.
Can’t hula hoop to save your life? Your hoop is probably too light—or too small. Contrary to what you might think, a heavier hoop makes hula hooping easier because it generates momentum, says Mary Pulak, owner of Hooked on Hooping fitness classes in Green Bay, WI, and designer of the hula hooping workout used in the 2010 study. Because you need to keep your core tight to whip the weighted hoop around your waist, heavier hoops also work your abs more than their lightweight counterparts, she says. A two-pounder is ideal. “It creates enough force to give a fantastic workout, but it’s not heavy enough to bruise your body,” Pulak says.
In terms of size, the bigger the hoop, the easier it is to use because it gives you more time to react to the forward and backward hooping movements, says Pulak. The diameter of the right-sized hoop should be between the height of your waist and your breastbone.
Ready to starting hooping? Find a certified instructor in your ‘hood, or, buy your own hoop and try a hooping DVD. You could also build your own hooping workout: Just turn on your favorite playlist and hoop to the beat. For a more intense cardio workout, increase the speed, vary the hoop’s direction, and do alternating knee lifts to challenge your core. Add arm movements and squats to turn the routine into a total body workout.
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