It’s December, the last month of 2022. December is a month where I find folks are either brimming with anticipation for the new year to come or clawing their way over the finish line. It always seems to be a busy time, so finding a wellness challenge to stimulate the interest of the masses is never easy. Until now…
The hula hoop. I think most of us are familiar with this toy hoop that at one point or another we twirled around our waist, our arms or even our neck. Believe it or not, the tradition of playing and exercising with a hula hoop dates back to Ancient Greece and Egypt. There is even a theory out there that hula hooping, or hoop races were part of the Ancient Olympic Games! In this country, popularity rose in the 1950s when the hoops were introduced by the toy company Wham-O, selling over 100 million hoops in the first year of their release. And while we may associate the hula hoop as merely a childhood activity, you will be interested to know that its roots to fitness in Ancient Greece were not altogether unfounded. (THE HISTORY OF HULA HOOPS, 2016)
Keeping a hoop spinning for any length of time requires you to activate lots of muscle groups simultaneously including core, buttocks, upper legs, and calves. These are the same muscles you activate when jogging or cycling. Working core and leg muscles contributes to improved muscle strength, coordination, and balance. If you haven’t tried to swing a hoop around your waist in some years, you may find that it is not the carefree activity you remember either. In fact, it’s downright challenging. After only a few minutes, you’ll feel it both in your heart and lungs confirming that this is an aerobic workout. (Godman, 2022)
So just to reiterate, this plastic ring spinning at our waist can not only burn calories but tone our muscles. Did I mention that it also tightens the muscles in the belly area to sculp the overall shape of our waist? In just 10 minutes a day, hula hooping can tone the abs, obliques, hips, and lower back. And better yet, it’s fun, can be done while standing in front of the television watching your favorite show and allows us to relive our childhood. Challenge Tip! For those of you, like me who were grossly incapable of hula-hooping in grade school, you may want to invest in a weighted hula hoop.
Join us for Tycor’s Holiday Hoopla Challenge by hula-hooping for 30 minutes a week. You can break it up as you wish…10 minutes 3 times a week, 6 minutes each day of the work week or just start hooping while watching your favorite Wednesday night sitcom! As always, take precaution and check with a medical professional before starting any new workout. (Kumar, 2021)
What’s all the hoopla about? Now you know. Happy Hooping!
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SOURCES:
Godman, H. (2022, May 2). Hula Hoop: Is It Good Exercise? Retrieved from https://health.usnews.com/: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/articles/hula-hoop-is-it-good-exercise
Kumar, K. (2021, 3 12). Can Hula Hooping Slim Your Waist? Retrieved from medicine.net: https://www.medicinenet.com/can_hula_hooping_slim_your_waist/article.htm
THE HISTORY OF HULA HOOPS. (2016, September 2). Retrieved from https://hoopnotica.com/: https://hoopnotica.com/blogs/stay-in-the-hoop/the-history-of-hula-hoops