|
Having Fun with Hula Hoop Exercises
When we are
talking about the hula hoop, let us start at the very beginning. How did
the hula hoop get its name and when did it originate? You can find
mention of the hoop as early as the Greeks, who used it as a form of
exercise. At that time the hoop was made of grass and wood. It seems
that "hooping" reached Great Britain as early as 1300 AD and became
quite popular when British sailors "found" Hawaii and experienced the
hula danne, they somehow paired it in their minds with the hooping and
from then on this became the hula hoop.
The
popularity of the hula hoop however is owed to a team of two innovating
toy company owners, Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr. In 1948, these two
gentlemen were profiting from selling slingshots and specialized in
finding ancient contraptions that could be used as toys; they were
highly successful with the Frisbee, slingshot and later the hula hoop.
When the latter hit the market, in 1958, at the price of $1.98, it sold
20 million in the first six months. In this period, for about a decade
the hula hoop was a hot favorite worldwide.
EXERCISING WITH THE HULA HOOP
Exercising
with the hula hoop has many benefits, the best of which is weight loss,
which is as effective as it is fun. A lot of people do not like to
exercise because they get bored, however, with the hula hoop there is
not one dull moment, only fun and great results.
Many people
do not know how effective the hula hoop can be for fighting that extra
bulge. It can be a complete fitness routine, providing the body with
flexibility, fitness, weight loss, mobility and coordination. Name any
other single exercise that can do all of these at once. You could start
with the simplest of hula hoop exercises and graduate to the most
advanced ones enjoying every step along the way and benefiting from it
in ways you never thought possible.
Do not shy
away from these exercises thinking it will be too difficult for you to
learn to hula hoop. It is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, it is
not difficult at all. The best part of the beginning (learning) period
is that it makes you laugh, which is something that no other exercise
can say it does.
AREAS
THAT THE HULA HOOP CAN TARGET
There is no
area that the hula hoop doesn't help with when you do it regularly.
However, this is especially useful for those who have been unsuccessful
with weight loss regimens as well as reducing/eliminating love handles.
Where and when all other exercises fail, try hula hooping and you can
see the difference in as little as two weeks.
You would
be surprised to learn that hula hooping can also build a phenomenal
eight pack for all of those who are interested in developing these
muscles. It also improves your back muscles and eliminates back
pain. Among other parts that the hula hoop benefits are the shoulder
muscles, chest muscles, thighs and calves. It also helps to reduce the
fat and firm the buttocks.
SOME
TIPS TO HELP YOU LEARN TO HULA HOOP
There are
many people who are scared to try the hula hoop because they think they
would not be able to master it, and in the process look and feel
ridiculous. If you feel this way, here are some hints on how to make the
learning session interesting, as well as stimulating:
-
Gather two or three close
friends who also would like to join you in this endeavor. When a few
people get together it is not only a lot more fun learning to hula
hoop, but one keeps encouraging the other and in no time you will
find that you can hold it up and hula hoop successfully.
-
Put on some music. With
music, the whole exercise becomes even more stimulating. It is also
much easier to swing away with your hula hoop.
-
Keep the initial sessions
short and sweet. This will encourage you to get back to it
every day instead of exhausting you.
So if you are thinking of
getting into a new exercise routine, why not try hula hooping for
something new and fun.
|
