Top 10 Hula Hoop Exercises And Their Benefits

What Is Hula Hooping All About?

Hula hooping is not a newly discovered cardio workout or weight loss regime to stay fit. There is evidence that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians twirled hoops around their belly as a fun fitness workout. And the only fitness equipment you need is the hula hoop! It is a physical activity where you need to twirl the hoop around your waist, belly, arms, and legs. The average hula hoop for adults is about 45 inches in diameter and weighs around 2 pounds. The most amazing part is that it burns as many calories as you burn by doing kickboxing or aerobics. Depending on your weight, exercise duration, and intensity, you can burn up to 420 calories. It can be fun and engaging and you can pair it with your favorite cardio exercises at home. Let’s get started with the hula hoop exercises and see what the benefits of hula hoops are!

The Hula Hoop Exercises

Before starting any exercise regimen, you must warm up. Here’s a fun warm-up routine. Warm-up Back Stretch

Stand straight with your hands on your waist. Roll your shoulders back and bend your upper body backward. Feel the stretch in your abs. Hold it for 3 seconds. Release and bend forward. Feel the stretch in your back. Repeat 10 times.

Side Stretch

Stand straight with your palms on your waist and feet shoulder-width apart. Bend on your left and then right. Repeat 10 times.

1. Standing Twist

The standing twist is a really good workout for the abs. Here’s how to do it. Steps To Do Standing Twist

2. Rolling Reach

The rolling reach is an effective exercise for your back and legs. It improves body awareness and flexibility. It resembles driving, just that the steering here is pretty big. Here’s how to do it. Steps To Do Rolling Reach

3. Hula Hoop Arm Circles

This exercise works on the arms and shoulders. Here’s what you need to do. Steps To Do Hula Hoop Arm Circles

4. Tree Press

In this exercise, you use the hula hoop like a dumbbell. You will basically do tricep extensions with a little variation. Here are the steps. Steps To Do Tree Press

5. Hula Hoop V-sit

The V-sit is an easy exercise that helps to develop strong abs. Here’s how to do it. Steps To Do Hula Hoop V-sit

6. Hula Hoop Squat

Squats are an apt exercise for the hips and thighs, and adding a hula hoop helps you lose the extra fat on the hips. Here’s how to do it. Steps To Do Hula Hoop Squat

7. Hula Hoop Russian Twist

The Russian twist is an excellent exercise for the core. You can bring it up by a notch if you do it with a hula hoop. Here are the steps. How To Do Hula Hoop Russian Twist

8. Hula Hoop Exercise For The Shoulders And Chest

The hula hoop not only gives your hip and booty firmness and shape but is also useful for the torso and chest. Just circle the hoop around your upper body and leave it loose in circles without letting it fall off. Here’s a complete video on how to do it.

9. Knee Hooping

Knee hooping is a good workout for your thighs, hips, and knees. Just try balancing the hoop between your knees and do not allow it to fall off as you hula hoop. Here’s a video demonstration.

10. Hula Hoop Dance

Many people find it preferable and exciting to dance for weight loss rather than perform intimidating exercises. The hula hoop dance can be just like an aerobic exercise that is a dance-inspired waistline workout. Using the hoop makes the steps more challenging and helps you sweat more. All you need is good music – let yourself free as you dance to the rhythm and shake your booty. Here’s an example. According to a survey based on 1483 nationally representative interviews of the US population aged 18 and over, in 2023, it was revealed that 53% of them liked hula hooping while 13% disliked it, and 25% were neutral. It was the most popular among millennials with 55% positive responses. These are the 10 hula hoop exercises. Let’s take a look at the benefits of doing these exercises.

Benefits Of Hula Hooping

Here are some common fitness and health benefits associated with hula hoops: Hannah Murphy, a podcaster and a blogger, wrote about how hula hooping positively impacted her life in her blog. She said, “I’ve never been into yoga and meditation but the hula hoop has taught me another way to practice meditation and mindfulness. The repetition and flow of the movements allow me to switch my mind off from everything and concentrate on being at one with myself (i).” Now, if you were to compare hula hooping with other workouts, where would it stand? Find out in the next section.

Hula Hoop Exercises Compared To Other Exercises

Experts have found that this full body workout is a good fat burner. As mentioned previously, you can burn up to 420 calories. Hula hoop exercises are the third best calorie burners after kickboxing and boot camp. They not only tone your entire body but also have a positive effect on your mind. Hula hooping is a great fitness routine and growing trend. Long and exhausting gym sessions can sometimes be difficult to maintain, but hula hooping is a fun and exciting way to stay fit and in shape. So get your hula hoop today and start twirling! Good luck. Is hula hooping better than walking? It depends. Hoola hooping is a more enjoyable form of exercise compared to walking. None is better than the other as the choice of exercise depends on health goals and personal preferences. However, studies found that hula hooping can increase the heart rate and burn calories at a rate similar to other moderate-intensity workouts. Moreover, weighted hula hooping was found to reduce abdominal fat and improve core strength to a great extent (2), (3). Therefore, hula hooping might be a better option if you want to burn calories, strengthen your core, and reduce belly fat. But remember to always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. Can you get a six-pack from hula hooping? Hula-hooping is a great way to strengthen your core muscles. However, it alone may not give you six-pack abs. Hula hooping is not a muscle-building exercise, but it is more a muscle endurance exercise. When you swirl the hula hoop, it mostly occurs over the spine, back extensor muscle groups, and your hips. The resistance over these muscles contracts the abdominal muscles, thus strengthening them (4). However, building ab muscles requires a more targeted approach, and combining hula hooping with other core exercises may help. Can hula hooping slim your waist? Yes. A 6-week study on hula hooping showed that regular hula hooping was associated with reduced waist and hip girth (1). How long should you hula hoop for exercise? You should start doing hula hooping for 5 minutes and gradually increase your workout to 20-30 minutes. Can a hula hoop make your stomach flat? The hula hoop is an excellent aerobic exercise that may make your stomach flat. Can hula hooping cause internal damage? No. The risk of internal damage seems very low with a hoop weight of under 2 pounds.