WATCH ABOVE: A hula hoop workout at Fierce Girl Fitness
Sure, you started that New Year’s resolution to lose weight with good intentions, but now that we’re a month into 2014 it’s easy to fall off the workout wagon. That’s why it’s important to choose activities that make you actually want to exercise—even in the depths of winter.
In this special series, Global News looks at some of the fun fitness offerings that promise to tone you up—no treadmill required.
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If it’s a good enough workout for the First Lady of the United States—who’s known for her fierce pipes—there’s no question hula hooping is a great way for the rest of us to shed pounds. Michelle Obama has long been a fan of the workout which first gained traction in California, and has since spread around North America.
Don’t be fooled: this workout is nothing like your childhood days of swinging your hips around in the playground. It’s actually much harder than you might remember, requiring strong abs, good balance and solid concentration.
“It’s an amazing workout for your total body,” says Amber Winters, who teaches a hula hoop class at Calgary’s Fierce Girl Fitness. “Some people are naturals at it and some people need to work at it. But once people get it and start going, I’ve seen people shed pounds just hooping.”
HOW IT WORKS
There are different types of hula classes, including meditative hooping, hoop fitness, hoop dance—even hoop yoga. A fitness hula class usually starts with a warm up that will get your whole body moving, like seeing how fast you can whip the hoop around your hips. Lifting up your arms at the same time makes it even more difficult, and then you can try to lunge while keeping the hoop moving—not always an easy thing for beginners!
The whole session is set to thumping, energetic music, and participants are encouraged to let their bodies move to the beat.
“It’s the most intense cardio workout when you’re just dancing,” Winters explains. “You’re able to feel authentic, you’re able to express yourself…you get to listen to music and let out stress and giggle.”
The second half of the class involves ‘tricks’ like whipping the hoop around one hand then jumping through it, or spinning two hoops simultaneously, in opposite directions. They look impressive when you can actually pull them off—though newbies will likely spend more time chasing around errant hoops than impressing their friends. Winters says that’s all part of the fun.
“Just close your eyes, accept yourself and the way that your body moves,” she recommends. “There’s this ego that people get when learning a new trick because it looks so silly, that people get turned off and scared and shy.
“Just accept it and stay confident and keep doing it, because you will get it.”
Winters—who calls herself a ‘hoopie’—adds that hula hooping is great for all ages and sizes, and is a fun alternative to the classic gym workout.
“People love the dancing and just getting involved with your body and connecting all these tricks you’ve learned into a dance.”
NEED TO KNOW:
Duration: One hour
Main body parts worked: Abs, arms and butt
What to wear: Tight clothing that won’t interfere with a hula hoop, and bare feet.
Calories burned: About 400 calories per hour, waist hooping at a normal pace.
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