Hoopy happiness

I've made my hoopdance hoop today ! And I think I've found "my" way of fitness at last ! I love my hoop so much that I wanted to post photos of it, but the camera is traveling through Peru at the moment, so maybe another time. Anyway, it's several shades of blue, with silver. It feels good to use a hula-hoop I've made and decorated myself, and it's great to have an adult-sized hoop at last !

What is hoopdance ?

Hoopdance is dancing with the hula-hoop. It's a loooot of fun, helps you develop coordination and works out all of your body. It's low-impact cardio, and can burn from 400-600 calories per hour.

My inspiration for trying hoopdance was this video:

I had been looking for a way of fitness that would feel like a hobby, not a chore; something that I could do anywhere and would not cost much. Hooping is all that,and unlike most exercises that you can do at home, it's never repetitive. I get bored of fitness routines, and probably you've all heard that you get better results if you are actually focused on your body while exercising. With hoop-dance I am constantly learning, and there are a hundred ways to hoop. If you don't feel like hooping sensually Beyonce-style, you can hoop crazy-furiously or simply chill and hoop cool.
Another reason why I love hooping is that this story could be mine.

Everything you need to know about hoop-dancing...

...is on www.hooping.org and www.hoopcity.ca
Where to buy hoops, how to make them, help with hooping moves, plus lots of videos and discussions.

How can I learn to hoop-dance ?

Check on hooping.org for classes near you, or ask the hooping reps of Europe. There are also tons of videos on youtube, just search for "hooping tutorial" or "hooping tricks". For basics, I'd suggest a DVD. I read the reviews, and choose Hoopnotica, which I bought from Hoopguy.

Can I use a hoop from a toy store ?

     You can, but and adult-sized hoop is much easier to use. Adult size hula-hoops reach between your navel and your chest, usually that's 110 cm in diameter.
     In the beginning I filled a child's hoop with water (to weight it) and covered it with Gaffer tape (for friction). A heavier hoop is easier to control, but it still spins really fast, and there is much less space inside -- that makes some moves difficult to learn. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with my small hoop, but I longed for an adult sized hoop.
     The options of buying and adult-sized hula-hoop are limited in Germany, so I decided to make my own -- it's pretty easy, and I liked the idea of making my hoop myself.
    I tried out my new hula-hoop today and it felt fantastic... gliding smoothly like butter, spinning slower, and it actually felt lighter than the small one (because the weight is distributed over a bigger surface).

You can buy hoops on Etsy, or you can find more options at hooping.org.