Since 2019, the demand for hula hoops on the online market has increased by over 5000 percent. Hooping is celebrating a brilliant comeback - and quite rightly so! A hula hoop is simply a perfect piece of sports equipment for lockdown. Practical, not too big, insanely effective - all this already speaks for the sporty hoop. But the best thing about hooping: It's a lot of fun! The flexible training is suitable for beginners as well as professionals and is currently causing an absolute hype on social media.
The right hoop size
The great thing about the hula hoop is that really anyone can train with it. Even overweight people can let their hips swing and dance to music. Exercising with a hula hoop is a real pleasure and doesn't feel like a sweaty sport at all - nevertheless, the movement with the hula hoop activates the entire body center, supports muscle building and boosts fat burning.
Depending on your body type you have to choose the right size for your hula hoop. When selecting the hoop, the following applies: If you place the hoop in front of your body, it should reach approximately to your belly button, or end between your pubic bone and belly button. If you are rather strongly built, you should better choose a slightly larger hoop.
Get started right
In order to have fun with the hula hoop, you should follow some basic rules for the posture and the movement.
Stand up straight with your legs shoulder-width apart. Place the hoop on your lower back with skin contact.
Then push the hoop as horizontally as possible to the floor with strong momentum. Now it is important to keep the hoop up. The basic movement is not circling, as everyone intuitively assumes. Try it with small forward and backward movements. Some people find sideways movements easier. During the entire time, the abdomen must remain tense. The abdomen leads most of the movement, without tension the hoop can fall quickly. During hooping, make sure that your posture is as straight as possible.
Caution: If you have serious back problems, you should consult your doctor before training. Harmless back pain due to muscular imbalances, however, is not a problem, here the hoop can even provide relief.
In the case of a slipped disc or other pre-existing conditions, however, medical clarification is urgently advisable!
Which muscles are trained with the Hula Hoop?
Hooping is a holistic workout. It strengthens the muscles in the abdomen, back, buttocks and thighs - a playful core workout with a high fun factor.
Training with the hula hoop also improves posture and trains coordination. The targeted training helps to effectively tighten and shape the classic problem zones "stomach, legs, buttocks". Those who want to lose weight are also well served by the hoop: the versatile workout boosts fat burning and improves endurance.
The best tips and tricks for the Hula Hoop
Beginners should rather train regularly, but only briefly. 3-5 minutes a day is quite enough to learn the technique and prepare the muscles for more demanding workouts with the hoop.
In the beginning, some stamina is also required: don't lose patience, even if it takes a little longer for the hoop to really stay up. Even die-hard pros have taken weeks or even months to learn the right technique in the beginning. If it doesn't work at all, you should reconsider the size of your tire: Many people who have had little success with a small tire report that it works much better with a larger diameter.
Pay attention to the correct weight of the tire. Very heavy tires can cause severe hematomas in the beginning. So should you have bruises after the workout: Pause until the spots have healed completely. Otherwise, the hematomas may encapsulate. Bruises are also a sign that your tire is too small and too heavy - better try a larger, lighter tire. Experts generally advise not to exceed a maximum tire weight of 1 kg if possible.
Maximum effect with maximum fun
As soon as the tire "stays up" you can really start "hulling". In the beginning you can combine your training with movements like walking, spinning or jumping. Later you can do real dance workouts with the hula hoop.
Hooping can just as easily be supplemented with fitness exercises, dumbbells or resistance bands. Even "hulling" on the trampoline is possible - there really are no limits to your imagination!
Find your right gymnastics equipment at an unbeatable price now!
Editorial fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Photo credit: #221442254 Prostock-studio / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 24 March 2021