A Retro Fitness Craze Makes a Canadian Comeback!
As a lazy, good for nothing, who tends to get a little, um, puffy if I don't watch it, I ask a lot of my exercise regimes. They must be fun, easy, inexpensive and ... fun! By George, I think that I have found it! It's hula hooping!
photo courtesy of Wendy T. Gibson
We use weighted hoops that Basia Baklinski, our teacher, pictured above in the yellow shirt, makes herself. (Basia is in her early sixties and a fantastic advertisement for the benefits of hula hooping!) These hoops are big and heavy! I am completely uncoordinated and, for the first class, could not get that hoop to hula for the life of me! All around me, other first timers were laughing in delight at how much fun they were having, while I tried one way and then another, to keep my hoop going, to no avail! By experimenting with a few different hoops, I found one that I could keep going and that was when the fun really began! It is completely exhilarating!
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The secret of it is practice. The beauty of it is that you are thinking only of the hoop, not how much weight you are losing, or how hard your core muscles are working - and believe me, they are!!! If you are like me and have a mind that won't shut up, hula hooping also becomes an amazingly, meditative thing to do. I stand in my backyard in the early morning, listening to the birds and spinning my hoop, my mind peaceful and calm for what will probably be the only time that day. I'm told that this will burn 200 calories in half an hour!!! And you are going to feel it after, especially at first. Fortunately, there is something super addictive about hula hooping and in no time, you will start to feel stronger and more confident!
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I don't count calories or weigh myself. I go by my clothing sizes and how my favourite pants feel on me. Since I started hula hooping only a few short weeks ago, I have already lost inches around my waist! I had to make a new hole in my belt, people! I'm getting into some of my one size smaller pants again! My arms, legs and bum bum are getting toned as well and my waist has shown up again!!! Another wonderful and unexpected side effect is that my complexion has improved! Nasty, stubborn blackheads have been flushed out by the massive sweating that hula hooping brings rise to!
Hooping gear is pretty straightforward. You need a hoop! Lots of people practice barefoot but I prefer to wear lightweight shoes. Clothing that gives the hoop something to "bite" on and soaks up the sweat fast is best! Then you need just enough space for the hoop to clear. Consider finding a spot inside to hoop, for rainy days and winter time.
I highly recommend checking out the amazing Canadian site called Hoop City! It will help you find shops, classes and hooping friends in your region.Have I convinced you yet to try hula hooping? I would love to hear about it!
Image sources: BuyCanadianFirst.ca
