Hula Hoop

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  • mistylovesmusic
    mistylovesmusic Posts: 147
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    Say what?! A DVD to learn how to hula hoop? I'm so on it! We got them out this past weekend and who knew that you could forget how to hula hoop! I have to admit it is a fun work out with the kids!
  • ValRAAAAY
    ValRAAAAY Posts: 270 Member
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    I have a 5 lb weighted hula hoop and LOVE it! They make smaller ones for your arms that are supposed to be really good for "bat wings" There's a lot of bruising at first, but DON'T give up! You'll be able to dance with it, run in place with it. It's SO fun! TRY IT!!!!
  • Astacia74
    Astacia74 Posts: 166 Member
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    Not to repeat what has already been stated but, it does depend on the hoop and how hard you are hooping. Most store-bought (Walmart, Target, etc...) hoops are pretty light. There are "trick" hoops which are a bit heavier and, if purchased from a good shop, should be sized specifically for you; and, as mentioned, there are weighted exercise hoops.

    I have a trick hoop and burn approximately 600 calories/hour if I am working moderately hard at it. I have been teaching myself to hoop in a counter-clockwise (opposite of my normal) direction which takes a lot of muscle control and trial & error.

    I hope you have as much fun with your hoop as I do...it's so fun it doesn't even seem like work!
  • cardiokitten
    cardiokitten Posts: 401 Member
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    I want to try, but I can't find any that aren't filled with glitter water or little beads that make noise. Should I try an actual sports store and not trying to find one in the kid's section of Target? lol
  • medaglia_06
    medaglia_06 Posts: 282 Member
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    Be warned with a weighted hoop, the first couple of times you use it, your hips will most likely feel bruised, this went away about the third time I used it.

    Using a kids hula hoop probably won't work... very hard to keep up.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
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    For those of you having a tough time keeping a hoop up: go big! It helps!

    My first hoop as an adult was a 42" monster - when I started working with off-body stuff, I sized down (gradually) to a 36" - but the best, most important tip for a beginner is to go big :)

    Put on some good music and just let it flow :)

    (I don't like weighted hoops, but I'm more into hoopdance, and they're not as good when you're flinging things around your head and neck ;) )
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Thanks for posting this. I just bought a hula hoop in the hope of using it to burn some cals. At the moment, my cals are being burnt from picking it up off the floor :( hints and tips on how to do it properly are very welcome :)

    Hoopnotica DVDs, they have a series starting with beginner. They are decently priced on Amazon. I love them!

    I saw a weighted hoop at Wal-Mart (Danskin) ..... I'm really intrigued. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Danskin-Now-2.5-lb-Fitness-Hoop/17299049


    Would Hoopnotica work for someone who can't dance & has trouble with choreography?
  • Dot2Dots
    Dot2Dots Posts: 137 Member
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    When I hoop I can burn between 400-600 calories a hour. I would suggest checking out www.hoopnotica.com for help to answer some of your questions.
  • Alysgrma
    Alysgrma Posts: 365 Member
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    Bump
  • l_oudman
    l_oudman Posts: 373 Member
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    I have tracked calories burnt with my HRM. After 30 minutes of vigorous hooping (with a weighted hoop) I burnt 306 calories.
  • bdubs125
    bdubs125 Posts: 16 Member
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    If you are feeling crafty you can make your own custom hula hoop. My co-worker's husband made me one out of pvc tubing and and electrical tape. size wise, it should hit about mid-chest when resting on the floor. I found this link to make a weighted one, but there are lots of tutorials out there.
    http://www.ehow.com/how_5646360_make-professional-weighted-hula-hoop.html
  • janalayn
    janalayn Posts: 510 Member
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    I bought the Danskin hoop from Walmart for traveling and LOVE it. But I also make my own hoops using irrigation tubing (there are instructions and tutorials online). I am planning to buy some of the hoopnotical dvds after I get through my wedding and honeymoon - my fiance has promised me an led hoop for Yule.

    Don't give up because it does get easier but the bigger and heavier your hoop is the easier it is to learn. I started with a 42inch hoop with 32 ounces of water in it. I now use a 36inch weighted hoop (16 ounces of water) and have a 42 inch non weighted hoop for learning tricks and hoop dance.

    It is very relaxing and a great workout - i did it all winter in my house, just pushed the furniture back.
  • strawberrygashes
    strawberrygashes Posts: 210 Member
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    I loooove hooping!!! I bought a 37" lightly weighted dance hoop and have started to learn some moves with it (bum blitz, limbo, booty bump)
    I had mine made to a specification that suited my height and waist size. I was told that the weighting of the hoop does not effect its exercise ability, just the ease of being able to hoop (the heavier and bigger, the easier) if you struggle with hooping, its advised to go with a 42" weighted hoop.
    I use this calculator to guesstimate calories burned.

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned.asp?exercise=319

    But sometimes I do simple waist hooping at average speed and sometimes I do moves with fast hooping that makes me sweat. So Yeh I just guesstimate the best I can.

    Remember to ALWAYS engage your abs, you will real feel the benefits of fully engaging then. And expect some hip bruises to begin with until your form has improved.
  • va_va_voom
    va_va_voom Posts: 467 Member
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    I want to try, but I can't find any that aren't filled with glitter water or little beads that make noise. Should I try an actual sports store and not trying to find one in the kid's section of Target? lol

    I wanted to make sure I was going to commit to it before I spent any amount of money on a hoop. I was having trouble finding one that wasn't glittery or water-filled, too. But, Target has the traditional hoop in their outdoor section (by the patio furniture area) for pretty cheap. If I can get into a good groove of hooping, then I want to pick up a weighted hoop eventually.
  • morninglilli
    morninglilli Posts: 194
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    Okay hoopers here are my findings.

    My stats are 5'8" 148lbs. 33 yrs old, Work out 4-5 days a week. if you want to figure that in.

    First off, I must say, that was AWESOME!!!!!! If any of you have HRM totally rock those things at least once while you are hooping! They get in the way when flowing from waist to chest hooping, but it is cool to see your heart rate go up and the calories burn.

    So....
    I did 4 sets of different hooping for exactly 10 min. here are the stats.

    Body Rock: Steady moderate to high pace
    Starting Heart Rate (SHR) 80
    Highest Heart Rate (HHR) 106
    Average Heart Rate (AHR) 96
    Calories Burned (CB) 34

    Core Hooping from chest to below waist (up and down the core repeatedly, moderately rapid)
    SHR: 86
    HHR: 136
    VHR: 118
    CB: 62

    Light to Moderate Hoop Dance (on body mostly some off body)
    SHR: 80
    HHR: 162
    AHR: 150
    CB: 97

    Rockin' Hoop Dance (On body, off body, lifts, jumps, etc.) Think cranked up bassnectar stuff! :)
    SHR: 112 (I didnt want to stop for a break, so rested just a minute and hopped back in!)
    HHR: 176
    AHR: 168
    CB:119

    So there ya have it! Hooping can most certainly burn 600+ calories an hour.
    I was going to post a video, but it ended up raining, so it was just me and my hoop and some tunes in the rain! :)

    I hope this helps a little

    Edited to note that I was using a 34" 100 psi 3/4 inch diameter hoop with two tapes for all of the tests.
  • gr8dayao
    gr8dayao Posts: 27 Member
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    thanks for the calories burned info. I have been wondering about it, too.

    I started hula hooping with a 42", 3 lb. smooth, no foam, hoop in the middle of March this year. I hoop no more than 20 minutes at a time, 10 minutes each direction and then add 10 – 15 minutes to work on the arms. Since mid-March, I have lost 4.5 inches from my waist and 4.25 from my hips along with about 15 lbs total weight lost in that time. I am wearing clothes I haven’t worn since I was 10 lbs. lighter than I am now. The most amazing thing about this is that my next birthday I will hit the half century mark so it is never too late to start hooping and it certainly isn’t just for the younger set.

    In my hooping research I found many pros and cons of the weighted hoop, so please, if you are considering a weighted hoop, don’t just buy one, read up on the right size for you and think about what you might like best. I can see how you might bruise from the weighted hoops if you don’t follow instructions and work up to the 20 minute limit slowly and while the instructions don’t tell you, it is best to hoop in both directions because you use different muscles in spinning in different directions.

    I read that the weighted hoops are easier to use and I have to agree with that. I also suspect it is true that you will burn more calories with a non-weighted hoop because it takes more effort to keep it spinning. If you want to work your arms, however, the weighted hoop is quite an experience. Imagine swinging a three lb. hoop over your head…just don’t drop it on your head!

    Also, hooping is best done in a gym or outside. When working on different things the hoop has a tendency to fly off in various directions. Watch a few you-tube videos on the hooping life…research to find the hoop best for you and go have some fun!
  • Zerashen
    Zerashen Posts: 59 Member
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    Okay hoopers here are my findings.

    My stats are 5'8" 148lbs. 33 yrs old, Work out 4-5 days a week. if you want to figure that in.

    First off, I must say, that was AWESOME!!!!!! If any of you have HRM totally rock those things at least once while you are hooping! They get in the way when flowing from waist to chest hooping, but it is cool to see your heart rate go up and the calories burn.

    So....
    I did 4 sets of different hooping for exactly 10 min. here are the stats.

    Body Rock: Steady moderate to high pace
    Starting Heart Rate (SHR) 80
    Highest Heart Rate (HHR) 106
    Average Heart Rate (AHR) 96
    Calories Burned (CB) 34

    Core Hooping from chest to below waist (up and down the core repeatedly, moderately rapid)
    SHR: 86
    HHR: 136
    VHR: 118
    CB: 62

    Light to Moderate Hoop Dance (on body mostly some off body)
    SHR: 80
    HHR: 162
    AHR: 150
    CB: 97

    Rockin' Hoop Dance (On body, off body, lifts, jumps, etc.) Think cranked up bassnectar stuff! :)
    SHR: 112 (I didnt want to stop for a break, so rested just a minute and hopped back in!)
    HHR: 176
    AHR: 168
    CB:119

    So there ya have it! Hooping can most certainly burn 600+ calories an hour.
    I was going to post a video, but it ended up raining, so it was just me and my hoop and some tunes in the rain! :)

    I hope this helps a little

    Edited to note that I was using a 34" 100 psi 3/4 inch diameter hoop with two tapes for all of the tests.

    This was really helpful! Thank you!

    I'm thrilled to see all the responses. :D
  • morninglilli
    morninglilli Posts: 194
    Options
    thanks for the calories burned info. I have been wondering about it, too.

    I started hula hooping with a 42", 3 lb. smooth, no foam, hoop in the middle of March this year. I hoop no more than 20 minutes at a time, 10 minutes each direction and then add 10 – 15 minutes to work on the arms. Since mid-March, I have lost 4.5 inches from my waist and 4.25 from my hips along with about 15 lbs total weight lost in that time. I am wearing clothes I haven’t worn since I was 10 lbs. lighter than I am now. The most amazing thing about this is that my next birthday I will hit the half century mark so it is never too late to start hooping and it certainly isn’t just for the younger set.

    In my hooping research I found many pros and cons of the weighted hoop, so please, if you are considering a weighted hoop, don’t just buy one, read up on the right size for you and think about what you might like best. I can see how you might bruise from the weighted hoops if you don’t follow instructions and work up to the 20 minute limit slowly and while the instructions don’t tell you, it is best to hoop in both directions because you use different muscles in spinning in different directions.

    I read that the weighted hoops are easier to use and I have to agree with that. I also suspect it is true that you will burn more calories with a non-weighted hoop because it takes more effort to keep it spinning. If you want to work your arms, however, the weighted hoop is quite an experience. Imagine swinging a three lb. hoop over your head…just don’t drop it on your head!

    Also, hooping is best done in a gym or outside. When working on different things the hoop has a tendency to fly off in various directions. Watch a few you-tube videos on the hooping life…research to find the hoop best for you and go have some fun!

    Lots of good advice here!!! :)
  • va_va_voom
    va_va_voom Posts: 467 Member
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    Using a kids hula hoop probably won't work... very hard to keep up.

    So I'm learning. LOL Who knew there was so much exercise science behind a hula hoop!?!?!

    Looks like I need to get hubby to make me a 42" weighted hoop from all that I'm reading here.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Track your heart rate, and there are lots of calories-burned calculators online that use your height, weight, age, and heartrate to estimate calorie burn.

    There's also a "calithenics" entry which might be pretty close.

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