Is hula hooping good exercise? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Is hula hooping good exercise?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Hula hooping is a good exercise because it can be an aerobic exercise when done correctly.
  • Strive for at least ten minutes straight of doing the hula hoop.
  • You can buy hula hoops in different weight ranges, usually anywhere from one to five pounds.

Getting aerobic exercise is good for your heart, your lungs, and your muscles.

Hula hooping is a good exercise because it can be an aerobic exercise when done correctly.

Aerobic exercise gets the blood pumping and strengthens your heart. It also helps circulate oxygen and keeps your muscles strong enough to be able to utilize those oxygen molecules correctly.

There are many aerobic exercises you can do, and variety always works the best. If you always do cycling, for example, then you are cheating some of your muscles out of the activity.

The same is true if you only always do step classes or weight training.

Having a varied routine not only keeps all of your muscles at attention, but it helps keep you from getting bored. Boring workouts can quickly become the demise of your fitness routine.

For workouts that are varied, sign up for a PRO plan today.

How Do I Begin Hula Hooping for Exercise?

It is very possible you had a hula hoop when you were a kid. Whether you ever mastered it or not, it is time to pick up that hula hoop and try it again.

When choosing a hula hoop, it is important to find one that is the correct size. If you stand the hula hoop on its side, the top of it should come somewhere between your chest and your waist.

The first few times you try hula hooping may seem difficult and it will not be an effective aerobic workout at all. However, you need to continue practicing it so that you can indeed benefit from it as an exercise.

To begin, place the hula hoop over your head (or step into the middle of the ring) and position the hula hoop just below your waist. Start with the hula hoop against your back and then gently rotate the hoop in one direction while swinging your hips in the same direction to keep the hoop moving.

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How Long Do I Have to Hula Hoop in Order for It to Count as Aerobic Exercise?

The length of time you perform an aerobic exercise will depend on the type of aerobic exercise you are doing and the intensity level that you are exerting. You can do low impact aerobics for an hour or high impact aerobics for 30 minutes, depending on your preference and schedule.

When it comes to hula hooping for exercise, strive for at least ten minutes straight of doing the hula hoop. It will take you some time to get the hang of it, and every time the hula hoop falls you should start the time over again. Aerobic exercise needs to be consistent so that your heart is pumping consistently.

If you vary the intensity level during aerobic exercise then your heart will work harder and your heart rate will increase. When you lower the intensity, you are still working out. If you stop doing any aerobic exercise you should not resume at an intense level.

Instead, you need to warm up and then slowly build up again. That is why you need to do the hula hoop for at least 10 consecutive minutes to count as aerobic exercise. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness, keep your blood and heart pumping consistently.

Should I Use Weighted Hula Hoops for Exercise?

The hula hoops you remember as a child were most likely lightweight plastic. The hula hoops you can buy today for exercise are weighted. You can use either kind of hula hoop for exercise; the goal is to hula hoop for a long and consistent time.

If you are first starting out hula hooping for exercise, you can start with the lightweight ones you know. As you get better at it you can challenge yourself by adding weighted hula hoops to your workout routine.

You can buy hula hoops in different weight ranges, usually anywhere from one to five pounds. How much you weigh can also make a difference in the weight of the hula hoop you select. You can also use the lighter weight hula hoops for hula hoop dancing.

The size of the hula hoop you get will be determined by your height. Hula hoops usually range from 36” to 43”. Read the first section of this article to determine the right size for you. Small hula hoops are also available for arm exercises.

Hula hooping is a fun way to add variety to your aerobic exercise routine. You can use it to strengthen your heart muscle as well as tone all of your muscles.

Exercise.com’s PRO plan can introduce you to other exercises for a well-rounded and varied fitness routine. Go PRO today!

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