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Health

07th Nov 2012

In A Hoop – It Might Be A Children’s Toy – But Hula Makes for a Hot Body, Says Georgina Ahern

This is one exercise class we can get behind, and, indeed, get our behinds into.

Her

So I’ve mentioned Hula Hooping in the past as a way to help you get active with your kids. Hula Hooping can trim your waist whilst you’re just having fun and all that jazz!

I know it can be easier said than done, and often when the kids are busy playing it’s a nice chance for us to grab some chill-out time whilst observing them, but this is another way to keep us all involved which is a great energy burner and really good fun too!

Hula Hoop fitness classes are now available in Dublin. A friend of mine has recently started teaching it, and so it’s next on my list of plans to get me up and moving.

It’s very much a fun fitness class to music, combining toning, stretching, dancing and cardio, and it burns plenty of calories too.

(Apparently over 100 calories in 10 minute – wow!) 

It can be a great core workout to help work a strong back and tighten strong tummy muscles, improving posture and balance as well as working your hips.

For home, you can buy Hula Hoops specifically for fitness in different sizes, but there is also an option to get some with different weights ranging from 1lbs to 5lbs to challenge yourself even further!

It takes the boredom out of fitness, and you can ‘Hoop’ to fun dance music in a group class. If you’re worried about your rhythm, fear not, because with practice the hula helps give you rhythm – as you need to be constantly moving to work it. 

You get a full body workout, swiveling your hips, working and circling the hoop whilst trimming your waist, while toned arms are achieved from spinning the Hula Hoop around your hands or arms and so on. Your legs are constantly working as you shift your weight from one leg to the other to keep it spinning around your waist.

With all that work you’ll end up forgetting you’re working out at all, and you’ll having a good old laugh if nothing else! 

I’ve organised a charity Spinathon in the past and, if I could actually master the rhythmic movement and shimmy-shimmy for a long duration… Perhaps a Hoopathon could be the next conquest!

Food for thought – I’ll let you know how it goes!

 

Have fun,

Georgina

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Topics:

fitness