Bored with Exercise? Get Fit with a Hula Hoop

Ask most people why they don't exercise, and they'll say they don't have time. The real reason? Most exercise routines aren't a lot of fun. Jogging on a treadmill or cycling on a stationary bike quickly becomes monotonous, and after a few days or weeks those good fitness intentions gradually go by the wayside. Here's a cure for exercise boredom. It's something you probably haven't done since you were a child - hula hooping. Hula hooping is not only fun, but it has health benefits as well.

Hula Hooping is Growing in Popularity

Ask Patricia Arquette and Michelle Obama about the benefits of exercising with a hula hoop. They're one of many celebrity "hoopers" that burn calories spinning a hula hoop around their waist. But hula hooping is not all fun and games, even though you might think so when you find out how much fun it can be. It gives you a real workout. Twenty minutes of twirling a hoop around your waist burns 200 calories, and it's mentally stimulating as well.

Other Health Benefits of Exercising with a Hula Hoop

Besides burning calories, hula hooping improves aerobic endurance in a manner similar to walking briskly or jogging on a treadmill. You can increase the calorie burn even more by using a special weighted hula hoop. It's easier to keep a weighted hula hoop moving. This means you'll be able do it longer and burn more calories.

You've probably already know how important it is to work your core muscles. Working out with a hula hoop helps to strengthen these muscles that stabilize your pelvis and back. Hula hooping also increases spine flexibility and improves coordination.

Hooping is even good for your mental health. Exercising with a hula hoop is a great way to relax. You'll feel like a child again while doing something good for your health. It's a workout that doesn't feel like real exercise, and it's over before you know it.

How to Get the Benefits of Hula Hooping

Hula hooping is a sport you can do in your living room while listening to music or a social activity you do with other people. If you like the social aspects of hooping, sign up for a class at a local health club or YMCA. If not, rent a DVD that demonstrates the mechanics of spinning a hoop around your waist. Then practice, practice, practice.

Whatever you do, don't borrow a hula hoop from your child. Smaller hula hoops spin too fast and are hard for an adult to work with. Choose one made for an adult and when you're ready to increase the challenge, choose a weighted one. Hula hooping - it's a workout can look forward to.

References:

Mayo Clinic. "Weighted Hula Hoops. Exercise Gimmick or Good Idea?"

Time Magazine. "Hula Hoops: From Child's Play to Real Exercise"