As the electric blue and silver hula hoop circles my body round and round in a sort of hypnotic rhythm, I begin to understand why the fabulous women who run the leading hoop-based fitness company chose the name 'hoopnotica' for their product. Much like yoga, hooping is a great low-impact way to connect with your body, your joy, and to still your mind. It's very much a moving meditation and one can't help but feel light-hearted when hooping, as it brings back the care-free feelings of childhood play and unabashed fun. You could easily forget that you are exercising when hoop-dancing which, I believe, is the whole idea...
Many celebrities are incorporating hooping into their exercise routines. Liv Tyler, Beyonce, and Olivia Wilde have whittled their waists by hooping. First Lady Michelle Obama swiveled her hips for the Healthy Kids Fair at the White House. Maris Tomei recently showed off her hooping skills on The Ellen Show, saying "I have a travel hoop...it's really good for your core strength. You're looking at me like I'm pulling your leg. You think I'm putting you on, don't you? I'm telling you it really works!"
And it does!
Hoopnotica has trained instructors and classes in many states, but if that's not available or ideal for your lifestyle, try the DVD. The level 1 DVD goes over hooping basics, including waist-hooping, pelvic-hooping, the halo, floating, and the corkscrew. (Certainly beyond the playground basics of my elementary school years.) Once you have a feel for the basics, the idea is to just take them and make them your own, perhaps going outside (or finding a space inside that gives you at least 8x8 ft, as recommended) and just playing with all your new moves while you firm your middle and burn mad calories. As you progress, you can add to your hoop skills by learning moves from the Intermediate and Advanced DVDs.
I tried the Level 1 DVD on Saturday afternoon. Quite honestly, I thought that this was going to be a piece of cake for me. I was surprised by how much concentration, skill, and strength goes into the moves. I really liked all the variations, as waist-hooping for a long time could get a little boring. They gave me enough options in the Level 1 DVD to keep me occupied for months! And Sunday morning, I was definitely feeling my obliques (side abs), hips, and back muscles. I can't wait to take the hoop outside with all my new techniques, put my favorite playlist on my iPod, and just hoop-dance away. I have been looking for some variation in my cardio options, and this will definitely be on the list from now on.
I have a lot of people write to me asking me advice on yoga videos that they can try at home, and I never have a great answer for them because a live yoga class is really best. But for home fitness enthusiasts, hooping is a fantastic option. All you need is the hoop and some space, and no two workouts will ever be exactly the same which is key to 'tricking' the body and seeing continued results. This is also a great option for people who think that they hate exercising. Since this feels like playing, you won't realize that you have worked out until you notice the sweat on your brow and your waist size go down.
So, give it a try. Hoopnotica offers a 'Starter Kit' which includes a "Travel Hoop" (the one I used, which comes apart for easy carrying), Level 1 and 2 DVD's and two "Hoopmix" CD's, priced at $89.99. They also offer a bunch of colorful weighted hoops from around $40-50.
Check them out at www.Hoopnotica.com.
Happy Hooping!
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