Ah, spring is in the air, warmer temperatures, longer days, and meaningful outdoor activities. It appears I usually get a burst of energy when March 20th rolls around. Besides flowers blooming, and buds exploding, my waist seems to have the same reaction as these flora occurrences. I tend to add more inches to my waistline in the winter even though I exercise all year round. Sad but true. I suppose it’s a seasonal thing with me; you know those holidays, they unfortunately are slated to fall in the hibernating months of autumn and winter.

Even though I am happy with myself physically, I always want to have a tad more confidence to wear that bathing suit that I don the first time each summer. I have been waist hooping for two years now, and when I work at it religiously (30 minutes each session), it has great benefits as well as a decrease of inches to my midsection. For me it’s a year round activity; however, when I am able to hoop outdoors, it tends to give me more pleasure and I am generally more productive (surely, it must be the fresh air).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGxHOe0YBg&feature=email[/youtube]he most difficult challenge a “new” hooper struggles with when starting out is trying to keep the hoop up for an extended period of time. This can be easily remedied with a gentle rocking back and forth motion instead of an arms flailing hip gyration. I think you will understand if indeed you are set to give it a whirl (pun intended). The benefits, according to Dr. Edward Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic, are that “weighted hula hoops can be a good addition to your exercise routine especially if you can do it for at least 10 minutes at a time. A hula hoop that is either weighted or regular can help you meet your exercise goals, and always check with your doctor when pain or other symptoms develop”.

Here are some fun facts regarding waist hooping:

1) Burns calories (typically 7 calories for every minute you hoop)
2) Low impact aerobic exercise
3) Tones and strengthens your hips, glutes, and thighs
4) Increases your fitness level, stamina, and endurance, and is a great stepping stone for other activities
5) Boosts your mood so exercising will seemingly feel like less of a chore (you’ll feel like a kid again)
6) Improves your coordination, timing, and rhythm
7) Helps with the flexibility of your spine (go ahead and add yoga to your regime)

One of the best advantages is you don’t have to join a gym, and you can hoop inside (make sure you have clearance) or outdoors. Put that hoop around your waist and get nostalgic once again by enjoying the benefits of hula hooping in your young age!

Thanks to Hoopsmiles and their “How To Hoop” rap song I was able to demonstrate how to waist-hoop in this video.