What are the benefits of weighted hula hooping? If you’re looking for a fun way to work out that you’ll actually stick with, hula hooping could be for you.
Hula hooping isn’t just for kids – if you can shake your hips you can spin a hoop! In fact, you’ll have so much fun, you won’t realise how hard you are working.
There are so many physical and mental benefits from hula hooping that we couldn’t wait to share a few of them with you. Whether you’re looking for benefits of working out with a weighted hula hoop, or prefer something lighter – these apply to you.
Here are our top eight benefits of weighted hula hooping, and hooping in general!
1. Strengthens your core
Hula hooping is a hardCORE workout. You can’t keep the hoop spinning properly around your waist without engaging those abs, standing tall and working your tummy muscles.
What do we mean by the core? Your core is your entire torso, including your glutes and obliques, not just the abs.They all play a vital part in keeping you upright all day, every day. By using a weighted hula hoop on your waist, you are strengthening and toning those all-important core muscles. This helps prevent back problems and counterbalance the negative effects of too much sitting and slouching.
Top tip: make sure you spin the hoop in both directions, so your core muscles strengthen evenly. It’s also great for your coordination! Spinning only in your ‘happy’ direction and not working on your weaker side might seem easiest initially, but won’t be great for your back in the long run.
2. Improves Cardiovascular fitness
We heart hula hooping as it’s sooo good for your heart. Hooping gets your hips wiggling and your heart beating faster than being called up on stage at a Harry Styles concert.
Improving your cardiovascular fitness not only has loads of short-term benefits (such as feeling AMAZING after a workout) but helps reduce many factors for heart disease so keeps your ticker in tip top shape in the long run.
Our HulaFit classes combine waist hooping with cardio and strength training exercises, so you leave the class feeling sweaty and smiley from a full-body workout that’s so fun you don’t realise how hard you’ve worked.
3. Kind on your joints
I’m sure you all have a friend who got into running, took it too far too rapidly and damaged their knees. High-impact exercises such as running or jumping put a lot of pressure on your joints. Too much too soon could mean you run into an injury (pun intended!). One of the amazing benefits of weighted hula hooping is that it’s kinder to your joints. Pumping that hula hoop around you for a 45min class works on your cardio system in a similar way to running, with the added benefit that it can help improve your fitness without putting too much pressure on your joints.
Low impact doesn’t have to mean low intensity! Here are some ideas of high intensity hooping:
-Try hula hooping as fast as you can for short bursts HIIT style, 20 seconds on 10 seconds off
-Bring your arms up in the air and your thighs together in the classic Hulafit Beanpole position
-Try squatting or lunging with the hoop on your waist. This might take a little practice, but it’s super effective!
4. Improves coordination, balance and motor skills
We’ll let you into the secret for hula hooping: coordination. Every mesmerising hoop move you’ve ever seen relies on the hula hooper knowing where their body is in relation to the hoop at any point. In fact, they drill these moves so much they don’t even need to think about them!
Luckily, coordination and balance, like so many things, improve massively with practice. With a little patience, you’ll be unlocking new hoop moves in no time.
Our tips for unlocking balancing – try waist hooping and raising one leg off the ground. Point your toe first, and then see if you can lift your foot off the ground. Take it up a notch by pointing your foot out to the side, or even behind you!
5. Burns calories
A lot of people take up hooping to aid weight loss and help slim their waist. We think you are gorgeous just as you are! However, if you are hoping to lose a few pounds, hula hooping can help you reach your goals. Of course, you can’t out hoop an overindulgent diet, but hula hooping burns calories which can help you reach the calorie deficit needed for weight loss. One study found hula hooping burns 7 calories a minute. But can hula hooping slim your waist? Find out here
6. It feels so good!
Happiness is finally keeping the hula hoop spinning! Nothing beats the feeling of progressing with your hula hoop and unlocking moves that you couldn’t manage a week earlier. Hooping is feel-good fitness at its finest. If you’re not smiling at the end of one of our classes, we’re not doing our job properly.
There are so many different types of exercise to improve fitness, coordination and strength. But we’re still yet to find anything that feels as fun as hooping.
7. Meet like-minded people
Face-to-face hula hoop classes are a fun way to make new friends. Meet like-minded people, learn new skills from your new hoopy buddies, and having workout buddies will keep you returning every week. Hear how hula hooping can help tackle loneliness!
8. Helps your mental well-being
Mental health and physical health are inextricably linked. When you get your body moving in your Hula hoop, this helps not only your physical health, but also your mental health. A solid workout with a hula hoop helps to get those feel-good endorphins pumping around your body. It’s a fact that regular exercise can help improve feelings of low mood, and hooping is so much fun you’ll want to pick up and move with your hoop whenever you have the chance.
So there you have it. That’s our top 8 benefits of hula hooping!
Can you think of any that we’ve missed? Has this inspired you to have a go? Sign up to one of our online or face-to-face classes today!
