Are you looking for home exercises that are fun, quick and provide a full body workout? Then look no further than your humble hula hoop.
Aside from being seriously fun, hula hooping is a powerful weapon in the fight against hibernation. Just 10 minutes of power hooping (think continuous movement) can burn as much as 100 calories and provides the perfect exercise for firming up those abs.
Circus Drills
Nothing will get you in shape quite like a daily dose of circus drills. In just over 6 minutes you will not only refine your basic hooping technique, but you will work all the important hooping muscle groups. Apparently designed by Satan herself and practised by professional hoopers all over the world, circus drills are the perfect high-intensity workout. We really love this video (click the link below) from Kristen Macquillin – it has a countdown timer, easy to follow instructions, a funky tune and positive affirmations throughout.
Find Kristen’s video click here
Ready to up your game? Try the twelve-minute version
Beanpole Variations
The beanpole is all about maintaining strength while activating just enough movement at the waist to keep the hoop in rotation around you. Your feet are together, and your arms are above your head and your hands are touching in a prayer position, pulse your waist to keep the hoop circling around your body.
Variation: in the beanpole position move the hoop up and down your body – waist to chest and back to your waist then waist to knees and back to your waist.
Booty Bumps and Barrel Rolls
This is where hoop dance meets cardio – switching angles not only looks super cool but completely ups the exercise points. Once you have worked out the dynamics keeping the hoop on the diagonal slant, try adding variations such as moving your arms in and out of the hoop. Deanne Love does a great tutorial which you can find here.
Remember, practice makes perfect and, in the meantime, you’ll be getting a great workout.
Multi-hoops
Once you have mastered your beanpole variations, try introducing an extra hoop and practise splitting two hoops between your waist and your chest. Maintaining your beanpole and manoeuvring the extra hoop is exhausting at first but the more you practice, the easier it gets and the closer you come to joining the circus!
For some hoopy tips to get you started try this video
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