Enjoy the Full Benefits of a Hula Hoop

It was a pleasant morning a few days ago, whilst doing my playground duty. I was doing the usual bit of hopscotch with the children, kicking a football and making a mud pie with the kitchen utensils; it was getting quite messy I must admit. Anyway, a little 5 year old came running towards me with a hula hoop and asked me if I would like to have a go. Obviously, I didn’t want to disappoint, but I failed miserably with it cascading to the floor after one rotation. The child in question, proceeded to put the hoop over his head and was a natural at it; was brilliant in fact.

This in turn got me thinking. I’m trying to lose weight and I hate exercise, but I honestly think that using a hula hoop once a day would definitely banish my mummy tummy and be rather fun at the same time.

Apparently, it is a common form of exercise. In a survey of 3000 woman questioned, 58 per cent  said that if they could change one thing about their body it would be their tummy. It’s not always that straightforward though,  trying to keep fit if you are living on a budget. Gym membership and personal trainers are not cheap, so effective economical exercise equipment is the way to go. Therefore, the hula hoop fits the bill.

Michelle Obama, Kelly Osbourne, Catherine Zeta Jones and Beyonce have all stated that they achieved their svelte figures by using a hula hoop. Well I would certainly like to look like Beyonce, but that’s a bit of a stretch!

Unfortunately, the last time I used one was when I wore knee length socks and had pig tails, and even then I remember I couldn’t do it.

A well-known hula hoop tutor mentioned that to begin with it is beneficial to wear tight fitting clothing so that the hoop doesn’t stick to your body and has a smooth rotation. She also mentioned that it will take time and practice to find your own personal rhythm and to relax as you hoop so that it will start to get easier. Right handed people can begin spinning the hoop anti-clockwise as this can, but not always, make learning to hoop a little easier . To get the full benefits however, both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotations should be achieved to work both sides of your abs. It also helps to look straight ahead and not to look down; which is what I tend to do.

With plenty of practice, it will come to a point where you should aim to achieve at least 10 minutes per day to achieve a tighter tummy and ab’s.  With persistence, it will become second nature to be able to hoop whilst reading a book. My sort of exercise!

I’ll post how I get on in the coming weeks (and how many times I fall over!)

PS: Cheap hula hoops can be bought at Amazon and Argos.