The biggest advantage is probably that the workout is a lot of fun. And when something is fun, you stick with it—at least in theory. I wondered if that would be the case for me.
What doing hula hoop fitness every day for a month was really like
When I swung the hoop for the first time, it didn’t work at all, and you couldn’t really call it a hula hoop workout. After ten minutes that was it, and I didn’t feel like doing it anymore. The next day after work, I grabbed the hoop again, and lo and behold: It worked. Rarely have I seen success so quickly, and the ten minutes turned into 15. On day three, I had to do it in the morning because I had a date in the evening; after 20 minutes of hula hoop fitness, which included listening to a podcast, I no longer felt like a beginner.
Over the next few days, I really did always find between 20 and 40 minutes for my workout, and each time it was even more fun. I actively looked around for workouts with hula hoops on the internet to bring variety into the routine, but sometimes I just felt like turning on the TV and doing it while I watched. Rarely had it been so easy for me to incorporate fitness into my daily routine.
After a week, though, I had to take a day off. Bruises had formed around my hips and the abdominal soreness was also enormous—but that’s all normal at the beginning of a regular hula hoop fitness routine.
These are the 5 best hula hoop exercises
In fact, the equipment is versatile, and there are several different ways in which it can be used. These are my five favorites:
1. Hula Hoop Exercise: Torso Rotation
Grab the hoop with both arms in the middle at the outermost points and raise your arms vertically to shoulder height. Now move from the center to the right and then to the left. Always keep the torso tense. A great exercise to additionally strengthen the body’s core.
2. Hula Hoop Exercise: Steps
If you’re confident enough, you can also do steps forward and backward with the hula hoop. Here’s how: Swing the hoop as usual. Once you’re ready, keep taking three steps forward and back again for about a minute. And of course, keep circling the hoop.
3. Hula Hoop Exercise: Arms Circling
With this exercise, you train your the coordination (and also the arms). During your hula hoop fitness session, stretch your arms out to the side and let them circle. This can take some practice, but it’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
4. Hula Hoop Exercise: Jumping Squats
Place the hula hoop on the floor and behind it. Now jump into the hoop, do squats, and jump out again. Very effective if you also want to integrate a short leg workout into your fitness routine.
5. Hula Hoop Exercise: Dips
Leave the hoop on the floor. Lie behind it and lift your legs bent so that the soles of your feet hover above the circle. Now alternately lower one foot and briefly tap the floor. The perfect abdominal exercise for those who want to step it up a notch.
