I hate the gym, about a year ago started doing  the Flying Trapeze which is the best workout without working out I have ever found, boy am I sore the next day. I needed to work on my core muscles for some of the tricks and stumbled into hula hooping. After purchasing a hoop online (the ones at Walmart will not work for adults, too small and too light), I found out how to make them at home.

What a great work out, it's cheap and you can do it while watching tv, or really anywhere. Hooping has changed my life, I am fit, can do more trapeze tricks, lost weight and started a hula hoop business. Sweet Shoppe Hoops. Check it out, mention that you found me here and get a discount.

I hoop dance & I love it too !!!!!

http://veganrockergirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/hooping-through-ages-fitness-review.html

I just did a blog post about hooping!  It's seriously the most fun I've ever had "working" out!

Why the ridges? Is there a purpose for them? I keep wanting to buy a hoop, but then there a ridged ones with foam, and traditional ones without foam. And they give weight recommendations. I'm just wondering if there's a purpose for th eridges before I decide to spend anything.

Honestly, I have no idea what the ridges are for!  When I first started hooping when I was nanny-ing, I used a hoop that didn't have the ridges, and now the one I own has them.  I don't notice a difference with either one...maybe the ridges help it stay up?  All I know is that there are weighted and non-weighted ones.  The more weight on the hoop, the easier it is to manage, and the longer you can go.  The heaviest I've seen is 5 pounds.  I'm currently using a 3-pound hoop and really like it.

I used to work at a women's gym, and just before I left we started to get fitness hoops in. They were the ridged, weighted ones. What I was told by my manager about the hoops is this (paraphrasing, it was near to a year ago since I worked there):

The ridges in combination with the weight are supposed to increase circulation around your mid-section, which aids in increasing fat loss in the area. While it is true that a heavier hoop is easier to keep up, we never allowed women new to the hoops to use anything above a 2 or 3 pound hoop when first starting, and the maximum use for a beginner was 10 minutes a day for the first week, and then gradually increasing by increments of 5, as long as it felt comfortable for the user. (In my experience, when I first tried the 3 pound hoop, it felt oddly between a painful feeling and almost like I was being tickled, haha.) Then when they felt ready, an increase to a heavier hoop was recommended, as the higher the weight, the more benefits you will get from the hoop (such as increased weight loss). We had hoops weighing 3, 5, 7, and 10 pounds. Although I don't think anyone ever tried anything about 7. 

I love hooping but I overdid it at first and also didn't stretch my hip flexors sufficiently, which was really dumb. It's a much more intense workout than it seems and can cause muscle aches in those of use without great flexibility.

I'm really interested in getting into Hula Hooping as a form of exercise. I bought one yesterday at my local sporting goods store. I tried it out last night and ouch! I think I have bruises on my hips. It's only 3 pounds but it really hurts. Should I be looking for another brand of hoop or is the sensation just something new that my body needs to get used to?

When you start, you should only do a few minutes at a time, and slowly work your way up.  This is what I was taught.  You will bruise the first week or so you are doing it...this is normal.  It sucks, but it's normal.  After that, you can have all the fun you want with your awesome new hoop!

Thanks Dani! I'll keep at it.

I love hooping! I make them... and just want to offer to anyone calling it "hula hooping" that I've learned it's best to use the spelling "hoola" instead as good ol' Wham-O owns the rights to the "Hula Hoop". (A well known hoop instructor faced a lawsuit from advertising classes and products when she used "hula hoops"... ) Just wanted to share in case anyone decided to sell their hoola hoops and will go about advertising them... wouldn't want to see Wham-O go after you. :)

Anyway, I LOVE Hooping!!

Visit hooping.org if you haven't already!! Yay!!

xoxo

@ Coree C, depending on where you live, there may be people not far from you who make and sell them. Try etsy... there are tons for sale on there... Once you get comfortable hooping, you might like to try a lighter hoop. They are easier to do tricks with as well.

I'd also like to recommend arnica as a great homeopathic remedy for brusing. You can buy arnica gel or oil and put it on the areas that are bruised. Also, taking arnica orally,  as well. Boiron is the most well known brand of homeopathic remedies. Any Whole Foods would sell this stuff. (Arnica has helped me tremendously for bruising... and it's also used for soreness from overexerted muscles... great remedy!).

wishing all of you Hoopiness!! :D

xo

I just joined this site today and can't tell you how excited I am to find a hooping thread! lol. So exciting to see it's more popular than I realized :)

I love hooping too! I got a hoop by hoopnotica! I got the travel hoop so I can take it apart and take it with me anywhere! I love it. They sell DVD's too. It is such a sexy art. http://www.hoopnotica.com/

Dani~ Loved your blog!