Hula hooping
I have been irregular with my walks ever since we changed houses. After we got back from our Shimla-Manali trip, I decided to try yoga (inspired by my daughter). So, for the first time in my life, and I just turned 40 as you are aware, I went for my first yoga class. I tried various poses (asanas) and was confident that I would continue and finish the 12 sessions with ease.
But, from the third class onwards, I felt like my whole being was forced into various parts of the universe. I felt like I was torturing my body to open energy channels that it has never even heard of before. It’s not that I couldn’t do yoga but I got to know that the one that I had chosen (power yoga) required me to already have a certain level of strength and fitness in order to go about it without having to sleep for 2 hours after class. Therefore, sadly, despite the benefits of yoga, and before I sprained a muscle, for the first time in my life, I quit a class halfway through.
It’s not like me, I know, but after a lot of deliberation, I chose to stop inflicting such agony on my body. As we get older, along with our body, our brain also tends to get lazy. Haven’t you noticed? Not only do we not feel like doing a strenuous physical activity regularly but we are also less driven mentally to do anything for the good of our bodies due to the various responsibilities that take up most of our valuable time.
However, I was determined to do something before I became a huge round lump of ageing flesh, so, I resorted to walking again. Also, after some research, I started doing around 100 hip circles with my weighted hula hoop per day. Why with the hula hoop? I’ll tell you why!
A weighted hula hoop is the heavier and sturdier version of the popular toy you buy for a child. Exercising with one is fun, challenging and a refreshing way to keep your mind and body fit. So, even if I skip a day of walking due to the rain, harsh sun or storm, hula hooping continues to keep me active.
Hula hooping is a moving meditation that ‘hoopnotizes’ us. It helps to clear our minds while releasing unnecessary stress and anxiety. When circular moves are constantly being created, we are enhancing our ability to focus. While concentrating on keeping the hula hoop from falling, the deep belly breathing and the communication, between our left and right brain hemispheres, promote conscious mental activity thereby ensuring that our brain remains sharp and healthy.
Did you know that the constant circling of the hula hoop around your arms and body creates a soothing massage for your biceps, belly, back, and inner organs? What’s more? An hour of hula hooping loses as many calories as you would with one hour of vigorous runs on a treadmill. Now, who wants to lose those inches or tone some muscles with hula hoops?
As hula hooping strengthens your core muscles, you tend to better your posture and improve your balance. This also allows you to carry out other exercises with the correct form.
Hula hoops can simply be used with hip circles or taken a step further and combined with complex dance steps. Hence, hula hooping helps boost our self-esteem as we feel better about ourselves after noticing the improvements in our physical appearance as well as knowing that we did it without hardcore or strenuous workouts.
You can find various hula hoops in the market but I think that the best are the non-detachable ones or the rhythmic gymnastics hula hoops. They come at a reasonable cost. So, you can say ‘bye bye’ to expensive gym memberships and fitness workshops with exorbitant fees. Your hula hoop can be your friend forever.
Get into the hula hoop circle and tell me you don’t automatically smile or giggle. While doing the hip circles, I am always smiling just like I am while belly dancing. Your circle can be your happy place without limitations. So, whether you exercise, wriggle, jump or dance with your hula hoop, you’re bound to smile or, for that matter, even laugh out loud. Try hula hooping after a crying session and let me know if it’s true! 😉
Whether you have planned to go on a picnic or drive 5 hours on a road trip this weekend, missing your hula hooping sessions can be prevented. The hula hoops are not heavy to carry around and hula hooping is very easy to do anywhere and at any time. Hence, you can find no excuses to skip this fun session wherever you are!
When you hula hoop dance in groups, you tend to connect with like-minded people who are not afraid to move and jiggle just like you. Apparently, it’s almost like a laughing session. Though I haven’t tried this yet, I do want to! Are any of you interested?
Of course, just hula hooping while being careless about what goes in your mouth will not allow you to lose calories, inches or weight from your body. You don’t have to starve yourself either to lose those inches. Simply adjust your lifestyle, live simply and eat right.
Honestly, the inexpensiveness of the whole activity interested me at first. Why invest in a class that I may not like while I’m right in the middle of it (like the yoga class despite the good-looking male instructor 😉)? Here, I could just start and stop as per my will. Yes, there are chances you may find this as an excuse to stop anytime many times, but hey! No one can start or stop anything without YOU wanting to, right?
So, come on, do try it out, and let me know if you’re happier with this than any gym membership you’ve paid for. 😉
Photos by Los Muertos Crew, EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA, Pavel Danilyuk.
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32 Comments
Wow that’s quite cool Cindy. I would love to do it but I worry I won’t be able to balance the hula hoop!
Practice is the only way!!
While yoga is a good thing, if one hasn’t done it earlier we need to be careful. Ideally they should have checked with you before putting you on to power yoga. I swear by walking as it helps a lot and can be done anywhere. Great that you are additionally doing hula hoops and enjoying it too!
Way to go, Cindy! I agree with you, as we grow older we become wiser. We get to understand and choose what works for our body. I never thought I could enjoy Yoga but somehow I did. It’s another story that I am not keeping up with it though. Dance is something I love doing and I hope I continue with that. I have always been in awe of people doing hula hoop. So, yay you! I hope I get to try it.
I do agree with you that after a certain age, mentally we are not ready to do certain things. Hoola hoop does sound like fun, but I don’t know if I can do it. I learnt swimming and started yoga, both after I turned 40, by the way! 🙂
Wow, Janaki, those are great activities, too!
I love looking at people who do hula hoop. Myself I feel I have a very wide tummy with backache, so it’s really not cup of my tea. However my daughter loves to.
You can find another activity to keep you fit, Mandira!
Oh, I’ve tried doing hula hoops but somehow was never able to balance it. With weights it must be even tougher. Must be a fun thing to do for fitness. Maybe will give it a try again.
Do try, Varsha. The weighted ones are the adult ones.
I have been missing out on my workouts for some time now but thinking to start soon.
I couldn’t for the life of me hula hoop. Tried it several times. Seeing all the benefits, I need to give it a shot again. For the weighted ones, need to consult my doctor first.
The weighted ones are for adults. They don’t have extra weight, hehe!
Whoa, Cindy, hula hooping is blowing my mind with its brain-boosting awesomeness!
The concept of “hoopnotizing” and clearing the mind sounds intriguing. It’s amazing how a simple activity like hula hooping can release stress and anxiety while improving our ability to focus. The combination of circular moves, deep belly breathing, and the engagement of both brain hemispheres is like a workout for our minds. I love how it promotes conscious mental activity, keeping our brains sharp and healthy.
I mean, who knew that spinning that colorful hoop around our waist could do so much more than just look cool? I’m seriously stoked to give hula hooping a whirl now.😅
You should, Anjali!
Wonderful Cindy thank you for letting us know the benefits of hula hooping. good balance and losing upper body fat I am always looking forward to. The best part is you spoke about happiness while hula hooping
Hula hoop was very popular when I was younger. I was quite good at it. Good to know that there are ones for exercising and there are so many benefits.
Hula Hoopa is something I saw my neighborhood kids doing several times. But I never dare to do that and the reason is my slip disc problem. You will be surprised to know that I used to be a good athlete till my college days and always won medals for my performance… then my skill got limited to running for catching the bus, train and running from market to home and home to office. Finally got married and in couple of years time while playing kabadi with my fellow neighbourhood friend, lost balance and fell down badly on pitch road and in next 1 months time detected with level 1 slip disc. So finally my athlete spirit came to a halt.
Ouch, that’s bad but you can try just walking?
I would love to try this, have never braved the twists and turns needed for hula hooping. One of my acquaintances daughter rose to fame due to this–Eshna Kutty. I didn’t realise that just the balance would bring in so many benefits.
I’ll google her and check. Thanks, Ambica!
I wouldv loved to see a video of you hula hooping Cindy… y isn’t it there?
I’v always been interested in it as I am aware that it is a good form of exercise but I don’t know how to do it… I guess I am too old to learn🤪. But I’m happy that uv found something that u enjoy n which is helping you n is light on the pocket too😀
I’ll show you live. No need of posting weird videos on my blog, hahaha!
I remember my hula hoop experience during the school drill. Thereafter it was just there at home and faded in time. Now my daughter loves it and I’m trying again to get that ring moving.
I have tried hula hooping for fun but have always failed. I wasn’t aware that there is a weighted version of the same. I think its time to give it a try again may be it will make a great fun activity for me and my daughter together.
Oh yes it will surely be, Manisha! My son loves to count and compete with me!
Honestly, I never thought of trying Hula Hooping after attempting it in my school activities. A couple of years back, I watched an internet sensation Eshna Kutty, the Hula hooping girl in a saree. It looks so good but I’m a bit scared to try it at this age! 😬
Wow, I have to see that.
Hula hoop is awesome, Cindy. My daughter got two weighted ones but never used them. I would love to hula hoop but I dare not start on it at this age.But I do a lot of yoga 🙂
Didn’t know there were weighted versions of Hula Hoops too, but it makes complete sense to have weighted ones for making for a better exercise. My introduction to Hula hoops was only as a child and we went wild laughing trying to keep it gyrating with the waist is great exercise especially for the spine and great cardio activity, fun-filled too.
Wanted to learn to balance the hula hoop for a long time now.. reading this makes me want to get to going it even more.. will learn from Mikka who does it pretty well 🙂
Haha! Then we can compete when I’m there, too! Mwah, cuz!