Yesterday, Wednesday, September 9, was no ordinary hump day due to World Hoop Day, a day that promotes healthy living while bringing joy to children impoverished places.

Taken from the World Hoop Day site:

 Since 2006, World Hoop Day has been dedicated to bringing dance, exercise and toy hoops to under-privileged children living in extreme poverty and underdeveloped neighborhoods of our world.  Founded by Annie O’Keeffe,  her husband, Kevin, and friend Stefan Pildes, World Hoop Day is a not-for-profit organization that uses a community-based, grass roots approach to provide one-of-a-kind “hula” hoops.  The durable, adult-sized hoops can be used their entire life as a simple and effective way to bring joy to an otherwise devastating situation.

Such a charitable act and fun pastime couldn’t slip by without the proper hoopla it deserves!  Therefore, this week’s Five Minutes for Fitness focuses on hula hoops.

“Hooping”, a head-to-toe work-out that offers many great health and fitness benefits, tones and strengthens your waist, hips and knees while increasing your flexibility and fitness level.  By hooping your arms or legs, you can also tone specific areas other than you waist and hips.  With each swing of the hoop, you learn to develop and control the coordination of your body movement. 

With the hooping trend circling the world, there seems to be a growing trend for weighted hoops, which are heavier than traditional toy hoops.  Although according to Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine,

There’s little research on the effects of weighted hula hoops. Any type of hula hooping can be an aerobic activity, especially if you’re able to hoop for 10 minutes or longer at a time.  You can use weighted hula hoops or traditional hula hoops as part of an overall fitness program or simply as a fun way to burn calories or add variety to your workout routine.

B. Hopkins of the Associated Content states,

For an aerobic workout, keep the hoop spinning for three, ten minute sets. On average, fitness instructors state that hula hooping can burn up to 100 calories in ten minutes. A 30 minute hula hoop routine has also been equated to burn approximately the same amount of calories as a medium impact aerobic class.

Generally, a hoop weighing one to pounds about 32 to 45 in diameter is all that is necessary for this hip slimming hula hoop.  Indoors or outdoors in good or bad weather, you can find time for this fun fitness and even ring the kids in on the fun.  Plus, you have to love a work-out that doesn’t cost an arm or leg unless you choose to work those areas, of course.  Then, delayed onset pain may be the price of your new fitness routine. 

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