You may know how to hula hoop like a proBut did you know you can put those skills to work as part of the latest social media fitness craze? This week, pop sensation Lizzo went viral on Tik Tok for reacting as a duet to a video of one of their fans dancing to their single “About Damn Time” while using a hula hoop. It was just one example of a larger trend on the social media platform, highlighting a revival of the 1950s toy, which is iit is increasingly used for fitness.
A subreddit for hula hooping boasts 16,000 members, and hula hooping exercise videos on YouTube routinely pile up. hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of views. According to a study conducted by the American Council on Exercise, hula hooping burns an average of 210 calories during a 30-minute workout, comparable to the effort of boot camp-style classes, step aerobics, and cardio kickboxing. Perhaps that is why it has caught the attention of celebrities Catherine Zeta-Jones for jennifer hudson (or maybe their Platoons are just broken).
Hula hooping is even endorsed by health experts. Samantha Noderer of the Massachusetts Public Health Blog writes“The hoop is a great way to tone your thighs, abs, glutes, and arms without feeling like you’re working out.” The Early Childhood Knowledge and Learning Center division of the Department of Health and Human Services recommends hula hooping as a physical activity for children, and Dr. Edward R. Laskowski notes: “You can use a weighted hula hoop as part of an overall fitness program to add variety to your workouts or just as a fun way to get more active.”
How to start with hula hooping to get fit
Here are some YouTube routines to help you get started incorporating hoops into your cardio workouts. Note that many routines use a weighted hula hoopwhich is different from the type most commonly sold in a toy store.
- Hula Hoop Warm Up/Cool Down: Add a little hoop at the beginning and wrap up your existing workout with this warm-up routine, which uses the hoop to aid in stretching but doesn’t involve the active hoop.
- PINC Active Fitness Hula Hoop Workout by Rachael Attard: This 15-minute beginner routine includes some hoop-assisted stretches and hoop-supported movements while in a variety of poses that stress different muscle groups.
- Hula hoop dance training: A 30-minute full-body workout session designed for intermediate to advanced hula-hoopers.
Grab your workout clothes and hit play on one of the many Spotify playlists hula holaand you’re all set to go.
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