Why I Hoop (Hula, That Is)

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Normally, I’m not athletically-inclined. I took marching band to get out of gym. For me, to like something that resembles a sport is nothing short of a Christmas Miracle. Hooping is my sport and I'm not joking when I say I love it. Maybe it’s more an art form than a sport. Not that I'm graceful at it, but it's expressive and joyful. As hippy or cheesy as that sounds, it's true. I chug along on my elliptical, do strength training and lots of other things. And that’s all good. But hooping brings me joy; it makes me laugh. Belly laugh. While exercising. That’s new territory for me.


YouTube sucked me in. I saw a hooper doing things we never dreamed of doing with our hula hoops in the 70's. All I could think was, "That looks like fun and is there any way in the world I can do it?" I did enough research to learn that I had to have an adult-sized hoop. The little kiddie ones from the toy store wouldn't cut it. So, I ordered a moderately heavy hoop and started waist hooping. For TWO years. Try as I might, I could never do any tricks. I didn't know that my hoop was too heavy for that stuff. I didn't know anybody who hooped, and had no idea who to ask.

Finally, I broke down and ordered a lighter, dance hoop. I didn't think I'd actually be able to use it, but decided to try anyway. Then, I found the Hula Hoop All Stars SparkTeam with links to websites, tutorials and hoopers--lots of hoopers. Turns out, there's a whole subculture of "flow artists"-- hoopers, poi spinners, jugglers, fire artists. Who knew? I found a tutorial that explained a basic lift and promised my SparkBuddies I'd post a vlog when I learned how to do it. I learned. I posted. And everything went hoop crazy.

I couldn’t get enough of it; still can’t. I’d find myself hooping in the backyard for over an hour, sweat dripping off my hair, stopping only because I had to do laundry or cook dinner. It’s crazy. And the workout is no joke. When you’re really doing this stuff, it’s a full-body, cardio/toning workout. And your core—oh, how you work your core! When you first start, it feels like you’ve been doing crunches for days.
Now I’m in a hoop class, so I actually have someone to teach me cool stuff! There’s always another trick to learn, a new hoop to try. Better yet, hooping is something I share with my daughter. And boy, how I love to spread the hoop love. When friends come to the house, they try the hoops. Cookout in the backyard? Break out the hoops. And you know what? It always leads to smiles and laughter. And that, my friends, is why I hoop.

Check out MOSTMOM1's SparkPage for more hooping inspiration (and awesome video blogs!)