Saturday, March 6, 2010

Are You Hula-Hooping Yet?

Believe it or not, the Hula Hoop has gone from being a 1950's fad to the latest fitness trend.  One enthusiast started hooping and liked it so much, she started her own company called Hoop Girl.  She now has 350 instructors in 12 countries teaching hula-hooping.  Hooping can burn up to 600 calories an hour.  Fans of hooping say not only does it get you in shape, but it helps you to not take things so seriously.  Hula- Hooping started in the late 50's and sold 100 million hoops in just 2 years.  Who knew it would still be around!  Sounds like a great way to get that waist in shape.

4 comments:

Gutsy Living said...

I heard about that, and even saw one at my local 24 hour fitness. What do you think about Pilates? I'd like to try a class with the reformer. Do you think it can keep you muscular, or do you still need weights?

A Fitness Minute with Pat Anderson said...

I think Pilates is great for light toning and stretching. I was doing Pilates for awhile and liked it. I found it did help with flexibility but I didn't find it challenging enough for strength building. I still think you need weight resistance training to supplement your program. I do think it is a good alternative for people who do not like weight training.

Gutsy Living said...

What a nuisance that it doesn't build more muscle. I am starting to get a little fed up after 27 years of lifting "heavy" weights. Also my lower back on right side, sometimes spasms and causes me to stop working out for 2-3 days. This is happening more and more often and I hoped that Pilates might help "fix" that lower back problem. I have enough muscle already, so strengthening my back is not the issue here.

A Fitness Minute with Pat Anderson said...

I think Pilates would be a good change for you for awhile. It will give your back a chance to heal. Try it for a couple of months and see how you like it. Let me know.

Blog Archive