How to Lose Weight Using a Weighted Hula Hoop

Most of us remember playing with plastic hula hoops when we were kids. Some of us were even kind of good at twirling the toy around our hips as we challenged our friends to see who could keep the hoop rotating the longest amount of time. Now we can recapture our youth by returning to the hula hoop. But the hula hoops for adults are a lot simpler to use than the flimsy plastic ones from our childhood. Today, hula hooping is one of the hottest fitness crazes out there. What's more, using a weighted hula hoop is a fun and effective way to lose weight. Doing some vigorous hooping, you can burn about 100 calories in about 10 minutes, the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile. Twirling a hoop around your hips isn't as difficult as you think. With a little practice and determination, you can learn how to hula hoop and gradually end up losing some stubborn fat. Do you want to learn how to exercise and have a blast at the same time? Read on and you'll get the scoop on the weighted hoop.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Weighted hula hoop

1. Step inside the weighted hula hoop and press it against your back. Place one foot in front of the other. With a swift, firm motion, spin it around your waist. Shift your weight forward and backward to keep the hoop rotating. Don't think about twirling your hips to keep the hoop up. Concentrate on shifting your weight from foot to foot. If the hoop falls, just pick it up and start over again.

2. Keep your arms out to the side so you can get your heart rate up even more. This will also help tone your arms.

3. Practice hooping in front of the television or dancing to music with your hoop. Walk around the house as you hoop to add more variety to the exercise.

4. Rent or buy a hooping exercise DVD, which will give you ideas for interesting moves you can try to make hooping more exciting.

5. Exercising using the hoop for just two or three minutes at a time when you're just starting out. Weighted hoops cause bruises when you are new to hooping. Start out slow and work yourself up to ten minutes of continuous hooping.

6. Increase your exercise time to 20 or 30 minutes a day once you have grown more accustomed to using the weighted hoop. Try to exercise at least three to four times a week. You may be able to lose up to four pounds a month just by hula hooping on a regular basis.

Tips & Warnings

• Hula hoop in front of the television to make the time go by faster. You can even just hoop during commercials and get an effective workout.
• Listen to some belly dancing music to get you into the hula-hoop mood or throw on your favorite type of music.
• Get your doctor's approval before you try hula hooping or any other form of exercise.

Resources

• Sports Hoop to learn more about using weighted hoops
• Hooping.org to read some interesting articles about hooping
• Hoopnotica for more information on hooping and hooping DVDs
• Hoopgirl.com for information on hooping

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[katrenia]

on 7/10/2009 i have a weighted hula hoop and i am trying to see if it will work

[dkeith]

on 3/31/2009 Thnaks for the tips! I have been working out now for about a week! Hopefully the inches will tart melting off soon! 5*'s!