Hula Hooping: A Game or a Serious Workout?

Hula hoops have been around for decades. They come in all sizes and colors. Some have beads inside that make a noise as it goes around your hips and others light up when you play with it. The hula hoop is traditionally considered a toy, but did you know that the hula hoop is a great way to lose weight and tone your body? Adults who want to lose weight and firm up muscles from the top down can use a hula hoop for a whole-body workout.

The rocking, back-and-forth, motion of your body causes repeated contraction and relaxation of your muscles. Your body flexes and your spine and hips are rotated. Your knee joints and the leg muscles that stabilize your knee and hip joints also get a good workout. The motion of your legs and hips that keep the hoop rotating around your waist improves the flexibility and strength of your hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors. Your core muscles also get a good workout as you tighten and relax your abdominal muscles to keep the hula hoop moving. Your butt muscles will feel the burn when you rotate the hula hoop higher on your waist.

Hula hooping can help you keep your spine, hips and leg joints flexible for increased range of motion. Hula hoop exercise is a low-impact exercise than can help you burn fat and lose weight if you hoop for about 30 minutes after you start to sweat and your heart rate increases.