Should Hula hoop-ing be classed as exercise

mysticmagi
mysticmagi Posts: 14 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Let's say someone "hula-hooped" for half an hour daily with a weighed hula hoop, at around 80 spins per min, would that be classed as some sort exercise even if it barely increased their heart rate?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    Sure.

    How to log it? That's a whole other question.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I look at it as upping my NEAT. Kind of like fidgeting. I never bothered to log it, but then again I was never great about logging.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    Impressive. I can’t hula hoop to save my life.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    it does raise your heart rate moderately, it's using core muscles.
    per a study at the university of wisconsin, it burns about 7 calories/min
  • runnermom419
    runnermom419 Posts: 366 Member
    Are you asking for yourself or someone else? Me, personally, I wouldn't log it. But that's just me.
  • DoofyX1
    DoofyX1 Posts: 1 Member
    Hula hooping should be considered exercise! However if you just stand spinning the hoop around your waist for 10 minutes you're not really going to get the best work out you can with hooping, start learning tricks and dance with your hoop and before you know it you'll be enjoying yourself too much to notice the sweat 😊
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    Weighted hula hooping is not easy! I would say for me, it is close to the number of calories I burn dancing. I just checked it and if I log 30 minutes of "dancing - general" under cardio it is roughly 7 calories per minute which matches what @mbaker566 found.
  • mysticmagi
    mysticmagi Posts: 14 Member
    runnermom419 wrote: »
    Are you asking for yourself or someone else? Me, personally, I wouldn't log it. But that's just me.

    For myself - I havent logged or counted it at all
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??
  • WanderingRivers
    WanderingRivers Posts: 612 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    Fire Hoopers.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    Sure. I would consider it exercise. I am surprised to hear you say that you don't think it is really raising your heart rate. Are you measuring it with a tracker of some sort or is that just a feeling? You don't have to raise your heart rate to crazy high levels to get a calorie burn. Even a moderate elevation is usually a sign that you are burning calories.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
    I do! I'll break out the hula hoop when I'd like to get in some cardio, but don't want to go anywhere. I've logged it as light / low impact cardio. I had a HRM on the last time I hula hooped and it raised my HR less than walking.
  • BeckiCrock
    BeckiCrock Posts: 19 Member
    I hula hoop with a weighted hoop and it does increase my heart rate my Fitbit classes it as aerobics x
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    Weighted hula hooping is not easy! I would say for me, it is close to the number of calories I burn dancing. I just checked it and if I log 30 minutes of "dancing - general" under cardio it is roughly 7 calories per minute which matches what @mbaker566 found.

    The kicker with this using MFP system - they already have accounted for you burning so much per min - your daily burn / 1440.

    A sedentary woman say 2000 TDEE means 1.39/min already accounted for - so a low calorie burn for a short amount of time doesn't really add much.

    7-1.39 = 5.6 x 30 min = 168 calories.

    Slow walking makes that effect worse though - so it's not as bad as that.

    Since most people that are busy don't seem to be sedentary even with a desk job - perhaps count this as just making sure you are in a Light-Active activity level and picking that.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited February 2019
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    there are exercise videos for this just like any other exercise
    WanderingRivers wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    Fire Hoopers.

    love watching fire hooping
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    Me. I hula hoop when watching a movie.
  • WanderingRivers
    WanderingRivers Posts: 612 Member
    mbaker566 wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    there are exercise videos for this just like any other exercise
    WanderingRivers wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    Fire Hoopers.

    love watching fire hooping

    Fire spinners are amazing to watch. I am sadly not that coordinated.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    @heybales I'm not sure if you were directing your answer to me or to the OP. I understand how MFP works - I've been here for 6 years. The OP's question was whether hula hooping for thirty minutes would be considered loggable exercise and, yes, it definitely can be. Anything that is movement beyond what one would normally do can be counted as exercise even if the calories earned is low. I personally count all exercise I get. It works for me and I am seeing the results I want.

    I am one of the few who truly fits the desk job/sedentary description. The past two days, I worked 32 hours and accumulated less than 6,000 steps for those two days. If I move, I log. After all, 150 calories earned is four ounces more chicken breast I can have with dinner.

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2019
    Genuinely curious, why does it matter what someone else classifies a movement as?

    I train for powerlifting four times a week and I don't consider that exercise, but if I did what difference would it make to me or anyone?

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    @heybales I'm not sure if you were directing your answer to me or to the OP. I understand how MFP works - I've been here for 6 years. The OP's question was whether hula hooping for thirty minutes would be considered loggable exercise and, yes, it definitely can be. Anything that is movement beyond what one would normally do can be counted as exercise even if the calories earned is low. I personally count all exercise I get. It works for me and I am seeing the results I want.

    I am one of the few who truly fits the desk job/sedentary description. The past two days, I worked 32 hours and accumulated less than 6,000 steps for those two days. If I move, I log. After all, 150 calories earned is four ounces more chicken breast I can have with dinner.

    It was to OP, just building on your comment of what the calorie burn would be since you had a good figure and discussion seemed to move to how much to count and how.
  • mysticmagi
    mysticmagi Posts: 14 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Who hula hoops for 30 min nonstop??

    I do sometimes
  • 39flavours
    39flavours Posts: 1,494 Member
    edited February 2019

    I really wish I could hula hoop, never been able to no matter how much I've tried. I have problems with my lumbar region and I bet it would be good for loosening that up and trimming the waist. Also I think it's very sexy and sensual, like salsa dancing 💃 I can do fire chains though, does that count? 🔥

    acx83uynbvsc.jpg

    I want some hula hoops now
  • MaintainInTheMembrane
    MaintainInTheMembrane Posts: 63 Member
    It’s definitely a fantastic cardio exercise. I lost all my weight with this as my favourite workout.
  • Howard_M_Burgerz
    Howard_M_Burgerz Posts: 61 Member
    edited March 2019
    If you count every single calorie you eat...then log every single calorie you burn. Maybe +/- 7 cals per minute on average 151 beats per minute (depending on your fitness level and intensity)... respectable
  • amy_ross86
    amy_ross86 Posts: 38 Member
    🙋‍♀️ I hula hoop for up to an hour. I change direction every 5 minutes, do squats and walk around. I'd like learn how to do more. It's a 2lb hoop and I just hoop while my husband and I watch a show after the kids go to bed.
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