Let’s face it… Over the last year we have all seen our lives come to a grinding halt in more ways than one. Many people are spending more time at home than ever. Some folks are home working, others have become homeschool teachers and cafeteria staff, and many have found it increasingly more difficult to get the exercise they want. With gyms around the country operating at minimum capacity, a cautious hesitation to spend too much time around others, and a household to run, you may be wondering how you can find an exercise to get you going. Well, we have one idea that will get you moving and having fun.
It is a great way to exercise.
It’s probably been a few years since you picked up a hula hoop and gave it a spin, but any old hoop won’t do. One of the best ways to set yourself up for a successfully hula hoop journey is to make sure you are using a hoop that is the correct size for you. When holding the hoop up beside you, it should reach your waist. Your best bet is to make your own beginner hula hoop.
Once you’ve got your hands on your dream hoop, the fun part gets to start. Before beginning any exercise routine, it is important to stretch your arms, legs, back, and torso. You should be able to notice a difference in your posture and positioning once you’re limber and relaxed. Swing the hoop around your waist and shift your weight back and forth, building momentum as the hoop spins around you. Start slowly and give yourself plenty of space to find your rhythm and flow. As you continue to practice each day, be conscious of working yourself up to 30 minutes of active hooping.
The surprising perks to consider.
In the event you still are not convinced that hooping is for you, we have a few more reasons you’ll join the fun soon enough. The benefits of hula hooping cannot be debated. If you pick one up and dedicate a little time to it each day, you will quickly see a difference.
Burn loads of calories.
Did you know you could be burning up to 450 calories after an hour of hula hooping? With traditional gym and exercise routines, you’ll be lucky to burn 300 calories per workout… That’s a huge difference! Anyone trying to drop a significant amount of weight or looking for ways to get your heart rate up, hooping is the solution for you.
Help alleviate back pain.
Do you suffer from back issues and pain? If the answer is yes, you have certainly tried your fair share of options to find relief. One of the major proponents of back pain is poor posture; what starts as sore shoulders will seemingly stretch down your back before you know what happened. Hula hooping is a fantastic way to practice proper posture while strengthening your core muscles. You’ll notice right away it is virtually impossible to hoop when you are slouched over!
Enhance your mind and body connection.
Meditation is an exceptional way to refocus your mind, clear out negative thoughts, and spend some time in your own mind – peacefully. Some of us may struggle to find the calm through traditional meditation practices, but the combination of aerobics, mental focus, and rhythmic movements is a sure way to help quiet the outside world. Any opportunity to find a way to lower stress levels while getting your heart pumping is worth a shot.
Don’t wait – get yourself a hula hoop today!
We all have a lot to keep track of during our daily lives, and for many of us, our exercise routines are the first things to go. Juggling day-to-day tasks, running errands, paying bills, and making time to swing by the gym may not be very practical, but who needs to hassle with a gym when you can exercise right at home. Get your family involved and make it an activity everyone will enjoy. Before you know it, you’ll be raving about the benefits of hooping. What is your favorite part of hula hooping? What made you get started?
Hoopmakers University A comprehensive guide for hoopsmiths and hoopers – answering all of your questions from deciphering sizing of tubing, tubing types, how to create the perfect connection, the tools you’ll need to create a hoop, and beyond!!
Whether you are just starting out with hula hooping, or you’ve become a master, you may find there are days you just don’t feel like getting up and moving. Maybe you’ve had a long week, you’re feeling especially tired, and the house needs to be cleaned… You have just got too much to do! But putting yourself first is a priority and when you find yourself in a rut, it can seem impossible to find the motivation you need. Well, grab your hula hoop and get yourself pumped about hooping! We’ve got a few ideas we’re certain you’ll enjoy.
Use a hoop you love.
If you’ve never taken the time to create your own custom hoop, you are missing out on a genuinely exciting experience. When you buy a hula hoop from a hobby or craft store, there are limited options available. Making your own hula hoop is an easy project anyone can do. You’ll need a few supplies to get started, but don’t fret, Hoopologie has got everything you need – and then some.
Add a personal touch to your hula hoop.
Hoop tape has a variety of functions other than being aesthetically pleasing. In fact, there are infinite choices when you start looking. Some tapes help the user to grip the hoop while dancing and others add a protective layer so you don’t have to worry about dings and scrapes on your hula hoop. Gaffer, reflective, and mirror tapes are often used to enhance the personality of your hula hoop and come in every color you can imagine. We’ll show you everything you need to know about hula hoop take and how to take your hoop to the next level.
Have you ever attended a music and art festival or outdoor concert? You’ll be hard pressed to miss the group of folks’ hula hooping and dancing through the crowd. Music is great for the soul and is an exceptional way to tap into all kinds of emotions and bottled up energy. When you add a physical activity to the mix, like hula hooping, you’re opening yourself up to a brand-new experience. Opening your mind and losing yourself in your activity is a great way to tap into your flow state.
Find your hoop space.
Getting into your element makes a big difference. If you normally enjoy spending your time outside in the sunshine, you may find it is easier to find your groove when you hoop in your favorite places. Set your thoughts aside, find your happy place, and express yourself in a way that makes your feel good – mentally and physically. There are many benefits of hula hooping you may not have considered! So, get your heart rate up, your hips moving, and take your hoop on an adventure!
We are passionate about hooping!
At Hoopologie, we are inspired by love, creativity, and FLOW. Sharing our passion for hula hooping with you is at the core of who we are. We want to hear from you so leave a comment! What inspires you?
Hoopmakers University A comprehensive guide for hoopsmiths and hoopers – answering all of your questions from deciphering sizing of tubing, tubing types, how to create the perfect connection, the tools you’ll need to create a hoop, and beyond!!
Whether you’re new to hooping and aren’t sure where to start, or are looking to refresh your practice, look no further!
Think back to your happiest memory; where time felt like it was stopped, when your senses were in-tune, and you were completely present. This euphoric state of mind can be achieved through movement, exercise, and creative expression is commonly known as the “flow state”, “movement meditation”, or compared to “runner’s high”. Now, imagine an activity that could transport you to that blissful, peaceful place?
Hula hooping, or hoop dance, is a playful, aerobic exercise, and is fabulously effective in helping reach fitness goals. Hooping also increases energy levels, confidence, dexterity and coordination, mental clarity, as well as providing a sense of achievement. With mental-health issues, stress, anxiety, and depression at an all time high, people are exploring creative ways to emote, express, release, and play. Some are learning a new sport, or a new style of fitness, while some are exploring their favorite childhood toys and pastimes.
If you’re brand new to hooping, internet searches can be confusing and overwhelming. Here at Hoopologie, we’ve created a Beginner Hooper Guide starting with the basics including; beginner hoop recommendations, differences in tubing, grip (tape, sanding, wax), posture, tips for success, and more.
Hoopologie Ambassdor, Hillia Hula describes the “Top 8 Things ALL New Hoopers Should Know”
Lets get started! What size hoop is best for me? Hoopologie’s standard Beginner Hoop recommendation is a 40″ diameter hoop or larger, made with a minimum of 3/4″ diameter tubing, but preferably, 7/8″ diameter tubing. Many hoopers’ first hoops are heavy, weighted fitness hoops from their local department stores or internet searches and are often 2lbs or heavier. Our heaviest fitness hoops are 1.2 – 1.5lbs, making a mid-weight hoop that is suitable for hoopers developing their muscle memory, while light enough to not leave bruising and soreness.
What different kinds of tubing are available and which one should I choose? Polypropylene (Polypro):Polypro tubing is the most widely available and popular type of tubing on the market today. Polypro is a light, bouncy, and responsive tubing that is loved by hoopers of all experience levels. While quite durable, polypro has its weaknesses. It can be fragile in extremely cold climates, suseptable to warping and misshaping in extreme heat, and can crack under pressure. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): HDPE is a fan favorite amongst hoop makers and hoopers alike. HDPE is a light, durable tubing, with a firmness unlike polypro, yet responsive and quick moving. Hoop-smiths everywhere love HDPE tubing for its forgiving attributes, ability to retain its shape, and ease to cut and manipulate. Polyethylene (PE): PE tubing identical to the black irrigation tubing found at many hardware stores, only Hoopologie made it custom in white. This tubing is a medium weight ideal for beginner – intermediate hoops. Stardust (Polypropylene): Stardust tubing is a proprietary blend, custom designed by and made for Hoopologie. This stunning, glittery tubing is a show-stopper, especially in the bright sunshine! Stardust tubing is specially made to be more bouncy, more responsive, and more grippy. These attributes can have side effects that can affect this tubing – it is more delicate in colder temperatures and can crack with impacts on hard surfaces. *Stardust tubing is not recommended for newer hoopers or children*
What kinds of grip options are out there and which one should I choose? While few things feel as nice as a fresh hula hoop with no scuffs, scratches, or markings, a perfectly smooth hula hoop can be increasingly challenging to maintain a level and consistent spin. There are many grip options out there, here are the most common: Sanding: Sanding is the most budget friendly grip option and allows each individual hooper to choose their intensity of grip. TIP: Gently rub a piece of fresh sandpaper around the inner rim of your hoop 1-2x or until desired result is achieved. Wax:Hoop wax is often made with a bees-wax base and is applied in a similar way as sanding. Hoop wax is made in-house and can be purchased as an addition to your hoop. TIP: Hoop wax is not recommended for taped hoops Tapes (gaffer, electrical, low-profile, and 3m): Many beginner hoops made today are crafted with grip tape. Electrical tape has a smooth, yet grippy texture and is quite durable. Gaffer tape comes in many colors and widths, making it a great addition to both bare and taped hoops, however, gaffer tape’s adhesive may weaken if exposed to too much moisture. Low-profile grip tape is a durable, thin, and grippy tape, perfect for bare polypro and HDPE hoops. *Not recommended for taped hoops* 3m is a soft, textured surface at 33 mils (0.8 mm) thick that is durable and abrasion resistant. 3M tape adds amazing grip and cushioning to all kinds of hoops.
Travel Hoops vs Sectionals vs Collapsible Love taking your hoop every where with you? Many hoops are fastened closed with tape, a connecting joint, or some combination of the two, making it challenging carry your hoop with you. Over the last few years, hoops have begun to be made with a push-button connection. The Collapsible hoop allows the hooper to disconnect the hoop at its joint and coil it down to attach to a bag, etc. Sectional and travel hoops are gaining more and more popularity, allowing hoopers to take their hoops any and every where with them – the Hoopnotica Travel Hoop is perfect for beginners and experienced hoopers alike; made with 1″ diameter tubing, push-button connectors, spiraled with beautiful mirror tape and gaffer (grip) tape, a travel strap and can be connected with 6 segments to create a 42″ diameter hoop, and 5 segments to create a 37″ diameter hoop.
Morgan Jenkins – @missmojangles – How To Assemble Your Hoopnotica Travel Hoop
Hoop dance helps hoopers of all body types increase mind/body connection, coordination, stamina, energy levels, and mental clarity. When you first begin hooping, you may feel muscle activation of muscles you didn’t know existed! You may experience some mild soreness when you first begin hooping, though there are a few postural adjustments you can make to extend your practice times and feel more receptive to new muscle memory connections. Before hooping: Hydrate, especially if you’re living and hooping in hot or very dry climates, or dancing in the direct sun. Stretch: With your hoop; lift your hoop over head and do a few, slow, mindful stretches to each side. Forward fold while holding your hoop in front of you, soften your knees and hinge from your hips rather than rounding over your low back. Quad stretch – hold your hoop in front of your body, step one foot the hoop, hook your hoop on your back-leg ankle and gently lift your leg in the air until you feel a stretch in your quad. Repeat on each side. Open your shoulders *hoop optional* – windmill one arm at a time in a forward circular motion for 30 seconds, reverse the rotation of your hand and repeat on each side, in each direction for 30 seconds. Posture: Keep your knees and elbows soft – don’t lock your joints out. Relax your shoulders down your back, lift your sternum, rest your facial muscles, and find a comfortable and sturdy stance. Intentional breath can immensely help your practice, focus, energy levels, and mood – so don’t forget to take steady and calm breaths and allow your body to move through your flow.
Hoopmakers University A comprehensive guide for hoopsmiths and hoopers – answering all of your questions from deciphering sizing of tubing, tubing types, how to create the perfect connection, the tools you’ll need to create a hoop, and beyond!!
The New Year has been a pivotal and celebrated time to humankind for thousands of years. Our modern times have proven that we are no exception, and hoopers everywhere are joining the ranks of celebration and new beginnings. Often times getting lost amidst the hubbub of the “New Year, New You” mantra, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that personal growth and transformation should not only be reserved for the fast to fade excitement over transitioning from year to year. Not to say we should stifle a fun and tribal tradition in lieu of this sentiment, but it is important to remember that our personal growth path is a never-ending one.
Now, some of you might be asking- what does this have to do with hooping? The answer: everything. Every single hooper I’ve ever had an in depth conversation with has always circled back to the notion that hooping has helped them immensely with multiple facets of their life- AKA, personal growth. However, many of us, myself included, sometimes lose a bit of the excitement and love we first experienced with hooping after doing so for years. There may be periods in which we are hooping every day for hours, and some when we don’t hoop much, or at all. While there are innumerable reasons we experience this bell-curve, a huge one I’ve encountered (and almost every other hooper I observe) is getting swept up in the hooping world that lies outside of myself. When we begin focusing too much on hoop-making, viewing videos of others, taking videos for others to see, learning new techniques and tricks, etc, instead of being intimately alone dancing and flowing with our hoop just for ourselves, it becomes easy to upset the delicate balance of our relationship with our hoop.
By no means am I implying hoop-making, taking and viewing videos, and the like are negative in the slightest (in fact they are immensely beneficial!), but when we neglect our truly “alone” time with our hoop we create the potential to lose out on the profound benefits that hooping has to offer; hence the reason it is such a delicate balance. One of the greatest pieces of wisdom that I have attained with my circle thus far is that hooping is a way of practicing self-love and learning how to carry it with you into your daily life. This practice and absorption can begin to become mute if we dwell too much outside of our own intimate little world with our hoop by focusing too much on others’. In some scenarios it can even add to or create feelings of jealousy, self-judgment, lack of motivation, and the like.
All of these feelings, including many unmentioned, are a part of those innumerable reasons we might find ourselves straying away from hooping as much as we’d ideally like to, adding to the bell-curve. This evidently happens to more of us than we might think, otherwise we would not be witnessing so many hoop challenges on social networking sites motivating us to hoop for a certain length of time every day for x number of days. I personally notice even more of these pop up around the New Year because of the previously mentioned “New Year, New You” mantra that becomes so infectious. While these are all amazing motivations and fun, social ways to get us hooping more, I like to pose and ponder the question, “how can we keep this motivation, personal growth, and self-love alive and kicking every single day throughout the year?” One of the greatest answers is quite simple, really. Go back to the way hooping used to make you feel when you first started- your beginner’s mind.
While it is easier said than done for most of us, even just making the slightest effort and acknowledging that you have the ability to be back in that beginner’s mind in every moment, it will make quite a noticeable difference in your daily practice (even if it’s only for five minutes!). Enjoy hooping for exactly what it is- hooping, dance, movement, art… Enjoy the feeling of your hoop caressing you at every point of contact around your body. Enjoy the moving meditative state that your mind automatically slips into while spinning in circles. Just be aware and allow your beginner’s mind joy to shine through. And always remember- hooping is first and foremost a sacred time for your Self.
As we continually learn and re-learn how to experience the happiness and self-love that exists within each and every one of us, there are ups and downs and turnarounds along the path. Just keep in mind that us hoopers have stumbled upon an amazingly beautiful tool that has the power to help in immeasurable ways when we continue to hone our relationship with it. Pull it out of your tool-belt on days you may be feeling lost and unmotivated, even if only for a few minutes. There is absolutely no need to wait for a new year or even a new hoop challenge to start or continue climbing up the next curve. Toss out that dated New Year’s mantra and replace it with “New Day, New You”, or create something of your very own. Because we are all constantly changing and transforming, we persistently have the opportunity to be exactly what we want to be and experience exactly what we want to experience. Every moment possesses the possibility to be something beautiful.
***Amber Lane of Lucid Hooping is a general lover-of-life and hoop enthusiast. After being diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and two herniated discs at the age of 17, she entered the world of healing and relief. She discovered the hoop and meditation in 2010 when she was 19 and instantly fell in love, not only because they boosted her self-confidence to new highs, but also because these modalities magically healed her chronic pain. Life since then has been a whirlwind of learning and sharing self-healing techniques and manifesting the life of her dreams. Through Lucid Hooping she hopes to help others in their journeys to health and true happiness through self-healing and transformation.
