Hula Hoop Fitness Video: How to Get a Flat Stomach

http://hotandhealthyliving.com/2010/05/staying-physically-fit-while-having-fu...


When I first heard about fitness hula-hooping I thought it was a total joke. It sounded like something straight from an infomercial. I also thought it would be impossible to do! However, hula hooping is a surprisingly easy to learn and also highly effective method for staying physically fit (not to mention its way more fun than most other exercises!) I especially like it because it provides a fabulous no-impact feel good cardio workout.

Break Through a Fitness Plateau

Hooping is definitely a skill you have to learn, but the learning process actually burns a lot of calories. Anytime you switch to a new activity, especially one that causes an inefficiency of movement (such as learning to hula hoop!) youll burn a lot more calories than you will by doing your same old exercise routine. For example, if you currently power walk for fitness and you suddenly take up hula-hooping (or ballroom dancing, swimming, etc) youll be able to break through a fitness plateau and take your current state of fitness to a whole new level.

Any Old Hoop Wont Work: You Need a Special Sports Hoop

You need a special sports hoop that is much larger than the typical kiddy hoop you've probably tried in the past.The sports hoop also has to be slightly weighted (using this type of sports hoop actually makes hooping a lot easier from a mechanical standpoint.) I buy my sports hoops from www.Hoopnotica.com

It took me a while to learn to hoop, but once I got it I was hooked. My heart rate started to increase, I felt zero pain in my hip, I was having lots of fun, my abdominal muscles were engaged and I was clearly getting a fabulous workout


The Hoopnastics Workout Program

Shortly after learning to hoop, I created a workout program called Hoopnastics fusing legendary fitness techniques from ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, pilates and yoga into a fun and action-packed workout using nothing more than a sports hoop. I started teaching my classes in Palm Beach County and got news coverage from WPTV and WPBF and several local magazines. The Hoopnastics Workout program is an interval training workout that includes hula-hooping for short 3-minute intense cardio-bursts. The first part of the workout looks something like this:

3 minutes hooping cardio burst
3 minutes standing ballet inspired toning exercises (using the hoop as a bar)
3 minutes hooping cardio burst
3 minutes standing yoga inspired toning exercises (using the hoop)
3 minutes hooping cardio burst plyometric sequence
3 minutes lying down pilates-inspired abdominal exercises (using hoop as a prop)

The Basics
In the weeks to come I will share some more exercises from my Hoopnastics Workout Method. In the meantime, Ive included a video that will show you the basics of how to keep the hoop up. Once you can keep the hoop up you can do a variety of movement patterns as part of the cardio burst intervals. In the video I demonstrate just a few of the patterns you can do, but there are tons more! Stay tuned for more hooping exercises coming soonHappy Hooping!! =)

Ivy Larson
www.HotandHealthyLiving.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• staying physically fit
• www.HotandHealthyLiving.com
• Ivy Larson
• how to start hula hooping
• hula hooping for fitness
• fitness hula hooping
• Hoopnotica Hoops
• Hoopnastics
• the basics of hula hooping
• no-impact cardio exercises
• how to get a flat stomach

[Kate2012]

couldn't understand a word she was saying...

[hotandhealthyliving]

@Kate2012 oh no! sorry about that =( i'm working on getting my videos to be better quality. hope you check back in soon...

[joyousmon]

Is this a special hula hoop? And, if so, where do I get it??

[hotandhealthyliving]

@joyousmon

hi! yes, you need a special "sports" hoop. i get mine from Hoopnotica!

[nazaretd]

Ah!; This voice is not going to work for me.

[iLOVEyouLord21]

very well explained :) keep up the good work!

[parkranger487]

I CAN'T hula hoop rocking my hips back and forth. Somehow i can only do it doing it in circular motions.

[GirlsDoPoker]

good video. Thanks.

[Nielle23]

I like the video! Not a problem with the voice, it's clear! This people need a better headphones!

Nice hooping btw!

[looselywired]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I have recently joined a class & now have a weighted travel hoop! We all used your slide and drag technique this week in the class! Myself and others will follow you for more tips. Thanks from Dave in a sunny London.

[laughingpixies]

does a my wood hula hoop works? its heavy but i have gotten use to it and its light to me...

[kaylaertl]

you can also make your own hoop with irrigation tubing, really simple!



[loveaaron4eva]

the first time i hula hooped was when i was 9 and i have the 5 pound one, i knew how to hula the second i started... it wasn't even hard, i kept it on for about 15 minutes and i got bored... so i started playing my ds...i was little... xD

[NothingTypical2010]

Why did you stop making these?!! And where are you now, please!

[Ayumii1907]

Do you HAVE to use this specific hula-hoop? Could you still get the same result with a regular hula-hoop?