Hula Hoop Exercise Routines

Wondering what hula hoop is? Well, it is a big hoop made of plastic, wood, or rubber, used by swirling the hoop around the waist. All you have to do is to keep the hoop from falling down and for this you need to sway your hips to facilitate the hoop's movement. I am sure this would have taken you back to your childhood days where hula hoop was one of the best toys you had. It is a great exercise tool that can help you to remove excess fats from the stomach and strengthen the core muscles.

Hula hoop exercises enable you to burn more than 200 calories in 30 minutes. They are good cardiovascular exercises that increase your heart rate, energy levels and blood flow in the body. Hula hoop workouts also improve body coordination, strengthen torso muscles and enhance spinal flexibility. Before starting hula hoops exercise routine, you need to understand that it is not exactly the same kind of hula hooping that you used to do in your childhood. The exercise hoops, called weighted hula hoops are heavier and slower to rotate around the body and have a diameter of around 35 - 42 inches, providing a better workout. Therefore, make sure you purchase a right hula hoop as bigger the hoop, slower it will rotate and easier to use, whereas smaller the hoop, more challenging to use.

Routines for Hula Hoop Exercises

• Jog on the spot for 2 - 3 minutes to warm up. Try to spin the hula hoop around the hips for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Stand keeping your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly pointing to left. Keep the hoop on the ground next to your left foot, and hold the upper side of the hoop with your left hand.
• Raise your right leg to the side and roll the hoop away from your body. Stretch your right arm overhead and practice two sets of 12 repetitions on each side.
• Spin the hula hoop around your hips for 3 - 5 minutes and again stand keeping the feet shoulder-width apart, but this time with toes forward and hands holding the hoop in steering-wheel position.
• Raise your right leg to the side twice meanwhile turn the hoop to the right. Similarly, lift your left leg to the side twice and turn the hoop to the left; practice two sets of 12 repetitions.
• Again spin the hula hoop around the hips for 3 - 5 minutes, stand keeping feet shoulder-width apart, with toes forward and hands holding the hoop in steering-wheel position.
• Slightly turn your body left, stretch your right arm across your body and try to touch the left side of the hoop. While doing this, come up on the toe of your right foot and repeat on the opposite side as well. Practice two sets of 12 repetitions.
• Now spin the hula hoop around the hips for 3 - 5 minutes and lie down with your face up, legs raised at 90 degree angle. Hold the hoop in your left hand, and keep your feet slightly on the lower part of the hoop.
• Keep your right hand behind your head and slowly raise your shoulder blades off the ground, lower the legs until they are few inches above the ground. Return to the initial position and practice two sets of 12 repetitions, don't forget to switch the sides for the second set.
• Finally jog on the spot for 3 - 5 minutes and don't forget to do some stretching exercises.

The aforementioned hula hoop exercise routines are simple and easy to follow, hence unlike other exercise programs you won't need to hire an instructor. Whether it is hula hoop to lose weight or tone stomach muscles, these exercises are fun to do and to add intensity to these exercises, you can use a heavy weighted hula hoop or two hoops at a time.