The hula hoop is currently experiencing a roaring comeback! Its attributes make it an incredibly effective way to train a wide scope of muscles during workouts.
Become part of the latest fitness trend and learn more about the benefits of hula hoop workouts! For instance, read up on how you can build effectively healthy muscles with hula hoop exercises, burn calories, improve blood circulation or how to choose the perfect hoop for you!
The hype is real
The hula hoop is back in fashion! Its strong capabilities allow you to train many different muscle groups during one workout.
Learn everything you need to know about hula hoop exercises! For example, what are the benefits of hula hoop training, how you can build healthy and effective muscles using a hula hoop, burn calories and what you should consider when choosing the right hoop for you!
Table of content
- The hula hoop: The most multi-talented fitness equipment
- Is hooping healthy?
- For whom are hula hoop exercises most suitable?
- What are the benefits of hula hoop workouts?
- How effective is hula hoop fitness?
- What muscles does hula hooping train?
- What weight and hoop size should I use as a beginner?
- How often should I perform hula hoop exercises as a beginner?
- What else you should keep in mind when using hula hoops
- More tips for your next hula hoop fitness session
- Let’s get started – hula hoop for beginners
- Spice up your routine and have fun losing weight
- Women’s Best facts on hula hooping
- Scientific evidence on hula hoop fitness and weight loss
- To conclude: Hula hoop: A fun way to lose weight and achieve a healthy body!
The hula hoop: The most multi-talented fitness equipment
Hula hooping (also known as hooping) has become a new trend in fitness for multiple reasons.
In addition to activating various muscle groups, training with hula hoops also provides a high sense of well-being and is generally just a lot of fun! *
Besides, you don’t need a lot of space or equipment to get started with your hoop workout. Hula hoop prices are affordable, and you can hula hoop whenever and anytime you want! There are even dismountable hula hoops, which can be transported or stowed away whenever you need to save space. This makes hooping ideal for your home fitness program, especially in times of home office.
Is hooping healthy?
Yes, hula hoop exercises train various visible muscle groups, as well as your heart. Hula hoop fitness is therefore very good for your cardiovascular system and it can be performed anytime and anywhere.
For whom is hula hoop fitness most suitable?
Hula hoop exercises are an effective all-purpose fitness weapon for both beginners and advanced hoopers. Since the strain that hooping puts on the foot and knee joints is rather low compared to other sports such as jogging, hula hoop exercises are an ideal workout for people who want to lose weight.
What are the benefits of hula hoop workouts?
Hula hoop exercises are a great way to train your entire body! During your workout, the hula hoop is swung around your body through circular hip movements. This allows you to train your abs, legs and glutes simultaneously. Even just a few minutes per day will have a significant impact!
Other advantages of hula hoop fitness include:
- Reducing waist size
- Strengthening of muscles
- Tightening of connective tissue
- Improvement of coordination and mobility
- Improvement of physical condition and blood circulation
- Stimulation of metabolism and internal organs
- Enhanced calorie consumption and higher endurance
The main reason for most beginners to take up hula hooping is to reduce the size of their waistline. Since hula hooping burns calories and body fat it helps with weight loss. Of course, many other factors are equally as important for losing weight, such as a healthy diet or suitable fitness supplements which can provide additional support and help in the regeneration process.
What other positive effects does hula hooping have?
According to sports scientists, hula hooping also improves your posture in the long term. Strengthening the core muscles of the abdomen and back makes them more upright, so the workout is said to help not only with weight loss, but also with pelvic floor and back problems.
How effective is hula hoop fitness?
Hula hoop exercises strengthen the body’s core and are ideal if you want to get fitter and get a shaped body at the same time. This is because hula hooping tones your abs and tightens your waistline. In addition, it also builds up stamina, which has a positive effect on the heart and blood circulation. Finally, hula hoop workouts also improve your coordination and sense of balance.
Hula hoop exercises are an effective full-body workout that tighten your midsection and tone your leg muscles. They, however, mainly challenge your core muscles, i.e. your abs, waist and back muscles.
What muscles does hula hooping train?
With hula hoops you can very effectively build muscle. Through the circular, repetitive motion, several muscle groups are simultaneously engaged and efficiently trained.
Hula hoop workouts strengthen the following muscle groups:
-
Abdominal muscles
The large abdominal muscles must be firmly contracted to hold the exercise hoop. By keeping the fitness hoop in motion, you also train your deep abdominal muscles. - Gluteal and core muscles
- Thigh muscles
- Back muscles
What weight and hoop size should I use as a beginner?
When training with a hula hoop, you should absolutely pay attention to size and weight. There is a variety of hoops of different materials, sizes and weight. There are even dismountable travel hoops to take, for example, on vacation or on a business trip.
When buying a hoop, you can remember the following general rule regarding the size and weight of a hula hoop:
Beginners should rather train with larger and heavier hula hoops, because swinging will be easier and the strain on your hips lower.
Further differentiation criteria can be found in the following overview:
| Hula Hoop Beginners | Experienced Hula Hooper |
|---|---|
|
Large hula hoops The larger the hula hoops diameter, the less your hips have to “swing”. |
Small hula hoops The smaller the hula hoops diameter, the more your hips have to move. |
|
Heavy hula hoops The heavier the hoop, the stronger the centrifugal forces. Therefore, such a hula hoop is ideal for beginners. However, this only works up to a certain weight, because after that the hoop must be swung faster to keep it moving. |
Light hula hoops The lighter the hula hoop, the lower the centrifugal forces. Therefore, the lighter hoops are “harder” to keep moving. |
| Ideal for beginners, burning fat and building muscle. | Ideal for more advanced exercises, dance & tricks. |
What types of hoops exist, and which one is right for me?
In addition to weight and size, there are many other features you can consider when buying a hula hoop. For example, there are weighted, collapsible, foldable, or ergonomically shaped training hoops with and without knobs or massage effects. Besides, there are also hula hoops specifically made for children or some that come with, for example, a jump rope for that extra cardio boost! 
The height of the hoop in relation to your body height is also important. As a rule of thumb, you can remember that the perfect sized hula hoop should reach your belly button when standing upright. If it is larger or smaller, rather choose a different model.
How often should I perform hula hoop workouts as a beginner?
To avoid overexertion, you should only do a few training sessions per week, especially at the beginning. Start with short workouts and then increase them continuously. A few minutes of training per day are enough at the beginning.
For example, you could start with a 3 to 5 minute hula hoop training per day and then gradually increase by 1-2 minutes per session to avoid overloading your joints, skin or muscles. Advanced hoopers train with the hoop for at least 10 minutes, often even longer – and this several times a week.
What else you should keep in mind when using hula hoops
Although training with hula hoops is suitable for weight loss, burns calories, is healthy and promotes muscle building, you should pay attention to certain things, especially as a beginner.
Sometimes overuse can incur bruises, sore muscles, or back pain, among other things. The hip circling motion performed during the workout is not a common movement and therefore unfamiliar to your body at first. Therefore, you should initially limit your training to just a few units per week. In part also to give your skin time to adjust to this new kind of stress.
If you have hip joint problems or feel pain, you should refrain from hooping and generally switch to sports that are easier on your joints, such as aqua jogging, swimming or even cycling.
Also important: Make sure you eat a balanced diet and drink lots of water!
More tips for your next hula hoop fitness session
Make sure you wear tight-fitting sportswear so that the hoop can rotate easily and tightly around your body. Otherwise, you may find that the clothing gets in your way during your workout. In addition, seamless sportswear, such as a fitness shirt, supports your well-being during particularly hard or longer training sessions. A sports towel should also not be missing!
Still need an outfit for your hula hoop workout? We got you covered!
Let’s get started – hula hoop for beginners
To begin hooping, it is best to start as follows:
- Hold your hula hoop at waist level, with your feet placed shoulder width length apart from each other pointing in the direction of your line of sight.
- Engage your core and place the hoop with your hands on your lower back.
- Move your hips slowly to the left and right OR to the front and back. Additionally, you can move one leg forward for more stability.
Important:
-
Make sure to:
Breathe in and out as evenly as possible during the movement.
-
Women’s Best Hula Hoop PRO Tips for advanced hoopers:
Advanced hoopers can use hoops with a smaller diameter. Here, the centrifugal forces are lower, and it is more difficult to keep the hoop in motion. There are also countless hoops that are specifically suitable for advanced hoopers due to their materials and weight.
What exercises can I do with hula hoops?
With the right hoop you can perform different exercises that vary in scope, muscle group focus and intensity. In addition to actual training exercises, e.g., basic exercises, you can also use the hoop for various stretching exercises, squats, etc. and thus add variety to your training program.
Spice up your routine and have fun losing weight
By adding variety to your routine, you not only make working out more fun, but also increase your movement safety and have fun while losing weight! For example, changing the direction of rotation or even the angle of your hoop by bending slightly forward during your workout is already a good variation.
Mix up your routine by adding further variations to your workout, such as:
- Walk slowly
- Change of leg position or direction of rotation
- Switch the standing leg
In addition to the listed exercise variations and the possibility to perform hula hooping indoors or outdoors in the fresh air, you can bring additional momentum into your hula hoop workout with your favorite music, a podcast or an exciting series. So even advanced training sessions of more than 15 minutes will not bore you 
!
Still not convinced of hula hooping? Then check out this article for a full-body workout!
Women‘s Best facts on hula hooping:
- Hula hoop workouts tone muscles and tighten connective tissue all over the body
- Hula hooping is good for weight loss
- The calorie consumption for a 60 min hula hooping session is between 400-900 Kcal
- Hula hoop hoops differ in size, weight, color and materials.
- The bigger your hoop, the easier your workout will be!
- Your hula hoop should reach from your belly button all the way to the floor.
- A 15 min hula hoop workout every day will already help you:
- lose weight in a sustainable manner
- activate your metabolism in a healthy way
Scientific evidence on hula hoop fitness and weight loss
You can find interesting, scientific studies to read here:
A Six-Week Trial of Hula Hooping Using a Weighted Hoop
Effects on Skinfold, Girths, Weight, and Torso Muscle Endurance
McGill, Stuart M.; Cambridge, Edward D.J.; Andersen, Jordan T. Author Information
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: May 2015 – Volume 29 – Issue 5 – p 1279-1284
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000653
Lahelma, M.; Sädevirta, S.; Lallukka-Brück, S.; Sevastianova, K. Author Information
June 2019Obesity Facts 12(4):385-396
DOI:10.1159/000500572
Kiatkulanusorn, S.; Luangpon, N.; Bhornluck, P.; Sobhon, P. Author Information
February 2020Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 23(1):1-14
Project: Effects of Hula Hooping Exercise on Lumbar Stability Level and Transversus Abdominis Function in Asymptomatic Individuals with Poor Lumbar Stability
To conclude: Hula hoop: A fun way to lose weight and achieve a healthy body!
The hula hoop, a toy from our childhood, is currently experiencing a roaring comeback as an effective fitness all-purpose weapon! Especially in times of home office and Co. hula hooping is a healthy and good training alternative that requires little space, is affordable and can be performed anywhere. If used correctly, hooping gives you a smaller waist, a flatter stomach and firmer skin. Plus, hooping stimulates your metabolism. Happy Hula Hooping!
#WomensBest #StrongerTogether #hulahoop #hulahoopfitness #hooping #hulahooping #hulahooper
*Disclaimer: The facts & tips on this page may vary from case to case depending on age, gender, physical condition and by other factors and therefore cannot be guaranteed for everyone.
