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Mama Ruby

Hula Hooping To Lose Weight

Regular Hula Hoop vs. “Smart” Hula Hoop: Which Is Better?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

As a professional hula hoop instructor and hoopmaker, whose customers are often plus size women and/or people who are trying to get more fit, I started getting a new question in 2020 that I had never gotten before in ten years of being in this industry:

“Should I get a regular hula hoop or a smart hula hoop to get the best workout?”

Before we go any further, let’s make sure everyone knows what we’re talking about. For those who are unaware, “smart hula hoops” are actually more like a belt than a hoop.

These things gained attention from a Tik Tok video during the pandemic lockdowns when everyone was desperate for at-home workouts. They are being manufactured by several Chinese companies, and millions of dollars are being spent on advertising them to the masses.

As you can see, they are not hula hoops at all, but they are intended to make your body mimic the motion of hula hooping without actually having to keep a real hula hoop from falling. 

There is a weight attached to a string that allows the weight to slide around the belt. The belt is made up of pieces that snap together and can be removed, which apparently you’re supposed to do as you whittle your waist down from daily use.

There are a few companies selling similar products, and they’re all calling them “smart” hoops. You’ll notice I keep putting that in quotes, and it’s because I just don’t understand what’s so smart about these things.

The truth is that in this case, the word “smart” is simply a marketing ploy, a catchy word that is usually used to describe something that can do a wide variety of things, like how we used to call our iPhones “smartphones”.

Think about WHY our phones are called smartphones. It’s because they have about a million functions above and beyond simply making a phone call. Smart phones are so smart these days, people run entire businesses from them.

So what’s smart about this contraption, exactly? I guess you could really reach and make the case that it helps people feel like they’re hula hooping when they think they can’t keep a normal hoop going.

Notice I said think they can’t – not that they actually can’t – because if you hang around here at Ruby Hooping for long, you’ll find out that anyone can learn to hula hoop for real – with a REAL hula hoop – no matter your size or waist measurement. 

The main thing that people don’t often know about hula hooping is that the size of your hoop matters the most when learning how to hula hoop, and as long as you get a hoop that is the appropriate size for your body, you will be able to learn. 

So, though you could make the argument that a “smart” hula hoop might help a person develop the muscle memory to hula hoop for real, my reply is that I can easily outfit you with the perfect REAL hula hoop to develop that same muscle memory.

And you’ll look way cooler and have way more fun.

Not to mention, with the Tik Tok gadget (I’m just done calling it a hoop at this point), there is literally only one thing you can do with it. Stand there and swing your hips back and forth. That’s it. That’s all you’ll ever do with it. 

Now if you’re anything like me, you know yourself well enough to know that shit’s gonna get boring by day 3 and you’ll be selling it on Facebook marketplace by next week.

On the other hand, with a REAL hula hoop, hand-built to the perfect size for YOUR body, you will build a beautiful flow that is unique to you by learning dozens of different moves with it.

And in learning and practicing all those different moves, you’ll work muscles you didn’t even know you had. Your body will tighten up in places you didn’t know how to target before.

Pictured: Jessie Broschart who has transformed her life and body thru hula hooping

But most importantly, you will fall in love with moving your body in way that no other form of exercise has ever done for you.

Am I biased on the subject of hula hoop vs. smart hula hoop?

Yeah, probably. But with good reason.

I’ve been teaching hula hooping, making hand-crafted hoops, and helping people gain body confidence for the past ten years.

I have watched how hula hooping transforms people’s lives.

I know that my hoops will NEVER sit in your closet collecting dust.

I know that for every 100 people that join our community, 99 of them NEVER leave and NEVER stop hooping. It’s that life changing!

To recap…here’s a nice infographic:

I’m definitely not judging anyone who enjoys using the belt, because hey, it’s your life! And you should live it however you see fit. Anything that gets you up off the couch and moving is better than nothing.

But my hula hooping heart just had let you know how much more beneficial a real hula hoop can be to your life.

If you’re ready to begin the magical experience of hula hooping, I would suggest visiting our Get Started guide.

Pictured: Lyndsay Mercier, who shared this gorgeous photo in our Ruby Hoopers Facebook group

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Beginner Hula Hooping

How Long Does It Take to Get Good at Hula Hooping?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

There’s no exact answer that applies to everyone when it comes to how long it takes to get good at hula hooping. Everyone’s experience is unique and different.

So, I will tell you how long certain aspects of hula hooping took me to learn, and I will share my experiences as a hula hoop teacher for the past ten years as well.

First of all, there is more than one way to hula hoop. Hula hooping is not just hooping around your waist. There are literally thousands of moves you can learn to do with a hula hoop.

Having said that, let’s first cover the question:

How long does it take to get good at hula hooping around your waist?

For me personally, as a 30 year old (at the time) who was never able to hula hoop properly as a kid, it took me about three weeks of practicing daily with a big enough hoop in order to really feel waist hooping click. And boy what an incredible feeling that was!

I’ve seen some people catch on to waist hula hooping within a few minutes or hours, while others take longer, even years sometimes. 

 

The best thing you can do to get good at hula hooping around your waist faster is to make sure you start out with the best sized hoop for your unique body. If you go check out our beginner hoops, you will see a chart that helps you pick your size.

How long does it take to get good at other styles of hula hooping?

>>If you’re not sure what style hula hooping you gravitate toward, take my 30-second free quiz to find out!

I really want to take a moment to focus on what it means to be “good” at hula hooping. If by good you mean, able to execute many tricks flawlessly and transition effortlessly between them, I would have to say it takes years to get to that point unless you have several hours a day to dedicate to learning and practicing.

However, if your definition of “good” is more like mine, its more about how it makes you feel than how you compare to other hoopers. And you will feel very good from the first time you pick up your hoop. Especially with my guidance and the support of the Ruby community, feeling good while hooping will happen immediately.

But, let’s say you’re not trying to win any Olympic medals but you do want to build your own unique flow and you’re just trying to get a feel for how long that might take. 

For me personally, from the first day I started practicing waist hooping until the moment when I felt like I had a good practice going where I could do several moves and flow between them somewhat gracefully, I would say was about a year. 

When I started hula hooping, there wasn’t much in the way of online classes and there was nothing being taught in my local area. So most of what I learned I pieced together through random Youtube tutorials. 

It took way longer to build my flow that way. I definitely recommend starting off with a good foundational course if you can. That way you’re not just shooting in the dark trying to find new moves to learn. 

I have created my own online course, my Six Week Beginner Hula Hoop Challenge for All Body Types, as a way to help speed up the initial learning process so you can start getting creative and adding your personal flair earlier in your journey. My course touches on all the foundational moves needed to flourish! 

Learn more about my Six Week Challenge. I promise it will help you get good at hula hooping much faster than trying to figure it all out by yourself. 

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Beginner Hula Hooping

Hula Hooping Styles – Everything You Need to Know!

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

Which hula hooping style appeals to you the most? Read on to find out more, or you can take our 30 second quiz now to find out which style fits you best. 

You may have seen various hula hooping styles on social media and wondered, how many different styles are there?

Some people choose very basic hooping moves only to tone muscle or burn calories, and some learn as many tricks as possible.

Very generally speaking, there are several technical styles of hula hooping, including:

  • On-body hooping – hooping around your waist, legs, shoulders, chest, hips, including with multiple hoops.
  • Off-body hooping – doing tricks with your hands, arms, legs, but not with the hoop rotating around your body.
  • Multiples hooping – using two, three, four, or even more hula hoops at the same time to make amazing shapes and beautiful illusions.

But in a bigger picture sense, hoopers tend to fall into one of the following categories when it comes to overall hoop style.

The 4 Main Hula Hooping Styles

Hula Hooping Style #1 – Weight Loss Warrior

This is probably the most common hula hooping style. Many people look into hula hooping because they want to get more fit and/or lose weight.

And with good reason. You may have noticed, especially since the pandemic began, people more than ever are looking for fun exercise they can do from home.

Hula hooping tops that list because it’s so much fun it never feels like exercise, and it both tones muscle as well as burns calories at the same time!

Most people who prefer this style of hula hooping aren’t too worried about executing tricks perfectly. It’s more about the simple act of sweating it out inside that magic circle. Turn on your favorite music and drift away for 30 minutes while you get your workout in! 

Hula Hooping Style #2 – Free Flowing Spirit

Although as a beginner or someone who is just beginning to research hula hooping, you may not know what hula hooping style truly appeals to you the most right now.  That’s perfectly okay!

I can tell you that eventually, you will feel like a free flowing spirit no matter what other styles of hula hooping you fall in love with. ALL styles of hula hooping feel very freeing once you get the hang of it!

As a free flowing spirit, you don’t dwell too much on one specific detail. You’re really pleased that you’re getting an amazing workout as well as mental health benefits, but you don’t get stuck on one main goal. You just flow!

Hula Hooping Style #3 – Meditative Master

One of the other main ways hula hooping attracts people is for its ability to put your mind at ease in a moving meditation. For this style of hula hooping, it becomes medicine not just for your body but your mind as well.

There are serious healing powers within the hoop dance practice and this style of hula hooping helps you tap into it. Your hoop time is your me time. No phones, nobody asking you for anything. Just you and your hoop, for a little while every day.

Many people who hula hoop for meditative purposes tend to enjoy simple and rhythmic moves, such as hooping around your waist, shoulders, legs, and chest. Hula hooping truly feels like being rocked in the best possible way. It is so soothing.

Hula Hooping Style #4 – Tech Queen/King

Last but most certainly not least, this style of hula hooping has more focus on not only learning a large body of sometimes complex hula hoop tricks, but also perfecting them!

People who identify as tech-focused hula hoopers absolutely love to learn as much as they can with their hoop and are always building on their previous knowledge. They are motivated by that. 

It’s easy to become addicted to that sweet sense of accomplishment every time you feel something new click. It’s also nice to show your friends and people you meet at social events with your dope hoop skills!

A lot of hula hoopers start off thinking they’ll never be techy hoopers, but once they become more immersed in the hoop life they tend to become more interested in learning as many moves as possible. So, you might think you’re not into tech right now when you’re reading this, but check back in two years!

This article has barely scratched the surface of the various hula hooping styles there are. This is my take on it as a plus size hula hoop instructor and hoopmaker, serving a global community of body-positive minded people for the past ten years! 

Hula hoop style is a broad topic that we could talk about for hours! The main thing I want you to take away right now is that there is a whole world of hoop dance out here and it’s transforming people’s lives.

Want to learn from me? I have created my Six Week Beginner Hula Hoop Challenge for All Body Types to get you well on your way to living your best life as a hula hooper.

No matter what style you choose, my course is designed to give you a broad understanding of the many ways we use our hula hoop to grow into our own unique flow and practice.

To learn more about the challenge, click the image below.

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Beginner Hula Hooping

What Is the Biggest Size of Hula Hoop?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

The biggest size hula hoop I have ever seen in my life, as a hula hoop maker and hoop dance teacher for the past decade, is probably this one that is 17 feet!

Pictured: Las Vegas woman named Getti Kehayova set the Guiness record for largest hula hoop! Source: reviewjournal.com

Most people have only seen very small hula hoops at the dollar store. They are usually about 32″ in diameter (across), extremely light weight, made of cardboard or cheap plastic. They are not made for adults.  They are simple toys, nothing more.

Or, maybe you’ve already looked into hula hooping for exercise a bit, so you’ve either seen or owned one of the big, chunky “exercise hula hoops” you see at places like Target. These hoops, while usually made of better materials, still don’t work for the vast majority of adults. The reason is that they are usually too small and often excessively heavy as well.

An exercise hoop in a big box store is typically gonna be somewhere in the neighborhood of 36″ to 38″ in diameter. A great size if your waist measures around 34″ or below, but for everybody else, not happening.

This is in fact why Ruby Hooping exists. I started making hula hoops in bigger sizes when I realized that bigger people can hula hoop just fine if they have bigger hoops!

What is the biggest size of hula hoop we make here?

I’ve made hoops as large as 80″ in diameter, and they are well loved by their owners. 

Here’s one of our customers on Tik Tok on the day she received her 70″ big hula hoop hoop! Click here to see the full video.

While a very large hula hoop can seem shocking at first when you see it in person, don’t be intimidated! The bigger the hula hoop, the easier it is to learn how to hula hoop on, especially if you’re size 16 or up like the majority of women in America today.

Since my brand centers plus size people, I would say the most common sizes of beginner hula hoops that I sell are anywhere from 44″ to 55″! (Nowhere near as huge as the Guiness world record hoop, but still roomy enough to feel good!)

Stick around for awhile and soak in all the amazing hoop inspiration I’ve collected on our website – there is literally so much big hoop love.

If you want to learn more about how hula hooping will change your life, I would recommend starting here.

Happy Hooping!

So much big hoop love I had to make a hoodie about it.

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Beginner Hula Hooping

Is a Bigger Hula Hoop Easier?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

Let me just cut to the chase:

The short answer is yes, a bigger hula hoop is easier to learn how to hula hoop with than a smaller hula hoop in almost all cases, especially if you’re just starting out, or you are plus size. 

The only time that I would not say that a bigger hula hoop is easier would be in a situation where the hoop is so ginormous that it’s hard to manipulate it at all. But you have to get into absolutely massive sizes for this to happen so it’s a non-issue.

In fact, one of my favorite things to tell new hula hoopers is that there is no such thing as a hula hoop that is too big.

The reason I love to say this is because most people tend to buy a hoop that is way too small when first starting out.

So it’s important for me to get the truth out to people before they try a hoop that’s too small and give up without realizing all they needed was a bigger hoop.

So, why is a bigger hula hoop easier?

Because the more space there is between your body and the hoop itself, the slower the hoop will move. This gives your body more time to react and keep the rhythm going. The smaller the hoop is, the faster you have to be able to move to keep it from falling.

So as you might have figured out by now, people with larger bodies will have a much easier time learning to hula hoop on a bigger hula hoop. 

That’s why we have a full service custom hoop shop at Ruby Hooping. We are the only brand that makes a point of including all hoop sizes so that everyone can enjoy the beautiful art of hula hoop dance.

Does a bigger hula hoop give you less of a workout?

Good question. The answer is no. While your body may not be moving as fast as with a smaller hoop, you will still need to engage more muscles than you think in order to keep the hoop on your body and not crashing to the ground. 

Low intensity should never be confused with easy. Some of the best workouts of my life have been executing controlled, calculated movements. 

Learning to hula hoop is all about exploring your body and allowing yourself to use the full range of muscle as well as motion to get what you want out of the hoop.

Hula hooping is not something you will learn overnight, but the great thing about that is it will keep you interested and motivated for years to come.

Hula hoop dancing is like painting. You have all the colors on your pallet and all the ideas in your mind and you can spend the rest of your life coming up with endless ways to bring it all together.

I definitely recommend starting with a bigger hula hoop at first. You’ll find that once you gain some experience, you’ll want to try tons of different sizes of hoops, and it will soon become your new favorite thing to collect.

You can check out our beginner hula hoops here.

How do I know all this stuff?

I’ve been teaching hula hooping to people of all sizes, ages and abilities for a decade now. I’ve also built custom sized hoops by the tens of thousands. 

I’ve made it my life’s mission to ensure that everyone feels hula hooping is accessible to them.

Feel free to stick around and read some more. My goal is for you, yes you! to feel excited about exercise again. To feel grounded and like you have something that works for you and your body. To feel your creative juices flow through the art of hoop dance.

Did you know there are many styles of hula hooping? Take our quiz to find out which style you gravitate to the most.

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Hula Hoop Health Benefits

5 Hula Hooping Benefits That Changed My Life

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

If you’re looking up info on hula hooping benefits, you probably already have an inkling of just how special hoop dance is. Maybe you remember hula hooping as a child, or wanting to. Maybe you saw someone in a video moving elegantly in your social feeds. 

Hula hooping has a magnetic vibe that attracts people of all walks of life, and with good reason. Not only is it an artistic, free-flowing way to express yourself, but it’s also exercise that both burns calories and tones muscle.

And that’s honestly just the obvious stuff.

This is definitely not the only article you’ll find here at Ruby Hooping on this topic.  I have spent a lot of time over the past 10 years writing about hula hooping benefits. There are a lot.

But this is probably the most heartfelt and personal article I have written. I am going to tell you the 5 life-changing ways hula hooping has benefited me.

Hula Hooping Benefit #1 – Relief for Anxiety & Depression

This is the number one most impactful hula hooping benefit I have personally experienced. 

This world is not an easy one to live in at times, and we all experience mental health challenges. Hula hooping, for me, has been instrumental in me gaining a sense of peace and clarity. 

When I’m hooping, here are all the things I’m not doing:

  • I’m not scrolling social media.
  • I’m not texting with anyone.
  • I’m not dreading the next headline.
  • I’m not worried about how I’m going to pay my bills.
  • I’m not wishing my body looked different.
  • I’m not worried about my relationships.
  • I’m not scared something bad will happen.

I’m just hooping. Just me and my hoop, and my favorite music. In this moment, I am free to exist without expectation, without fear.

It is the most healing experience. It is relief. 

Hula Hooping Benefit #2 – Improves How we Love Our Bodies

Hula hooping does a lot in terms of helping you get fit. And I’ll get to that.

But first, I feel it’s more important to talk about how much hula hooping actually helps you LOVE your body, regardless of your size, fitness, or age.

Before I found hula hooping, I did not have a vehicle for loving my body.

I was born in 1982 so I come from a time when fat jokes were still extremely acceptable and even cool, and women passed around little pieces of paper amongst their sisters and even young daughters with dangerous diets like “eat only grapefruit and hot dogs for three weeks”. Models looked unnaturally skinny and anything different was viewed as unacceptable.

Our generation pushed back against this. And even though we have fought the good fight our whole lives, we still have to live with the residual effects of growing up like that. 

Before hula hooping, I never really had a relationship with my body, per se. I mainly just knew I didn’t like it. I didn’t like how I looked, and even worse I didn’t feel healthy. I didn’t know what I was physically capable of, but I didn’t think it was much.

And I didn’t have the faintest idea how to change any of that. 

Hula hooping came along and changed that for me. Within DAYS of starting, I started to feel excited.

ME, excited to exercise! That was new. 

I started feeling soreness and a “waking up” kind of feeling in muscles I didn’t even know I had. I could feel my whole body tightening up. My balance got better. My energy levels sky rocketed. 

I started to feel a connection forge between myself and my body. Like I understood for the first time that my body is me and deserves my attention, my love, my respect.

Learning new moves with the hula hoop has such a delicious sense of accomplishment. There is nothing else like it on Earth that I’ve felt.

And in those early days when I just started, it was such a new feeling for me to be proud of things my body was doing. It was an incredible ride I did NOT want off of.

That’s why I’m still here 10 years later, telling as many of you as I can about these hula hooping benefits.

Hula hooping opened me up to see myself as elegant, strong, beautiful, even powerful. 

That’s a hell of a benefit in my opinion. One that honestly changed my life. When you’re comfortable with yourself both inside and out, achieving your dreams is suddenly within your view.

Hula Hooping Benefit #3 – It’s a Creative Outlet

The above picture is Scarlet, one of the most creative hoopers in our Ruby Hoopers group on Facebook! She always posts incredibly unique and interesting hula hoop content.

That’s because hula hooping opens up the part of our brains that foster creativity. As you begin to get the foundational moves of modern hooping down, you will start to come up with your own unique ways of moving within and around the hoop.

Your own unique flair will shine through in everything you do with your hula hoop.

You may start making a list of your favorite songs that you want to try hooping to. You may start thinking about what different sizes and colors of hula hoops you want to try.  You might start to feel compelled to share your hooping on social media as a creative outlet for expression. 

You can find the Ruby community on the hashtag #ihoopforme on Instagram and elsewhere!

Creativity is a hula hooping benefit not only because it produces beautiful art in the form of your unique hoop dance, but also because creativity itself has a plethora of health benefits.

There are dozens of studies that show being creative increases positive emotions, lessens depressive symptoms, reduces stress, decreases anxiety, and even improves immune system functioning.

This added element of creativity is something that most exercise and fitness plans simply do not have.

And it’s the reason why nothing ever stuck for me until I found hooping. I needed that extra connection with my workout that I wasn’t getting from following along with steps in zumba class. 

Hula Hooping Benefit #4 – Physical Fitness

First,  I want to acknowledge and honor that we ALL come from a different place in our journeys with physical fitness. All of our bodies are unique and different as you can see in this beautiful snapshot from one of our Ruby Retreats.

We are tall, short, thick, thin, and everything in between. Some of us were athletes in high school and some of us have never felt “athlete” was anywhere near a word to describe us.

This is why size inclusiveness is so important to me and to our brand. Because we are all unique and we all deserve to have this transformational experience of hula hooping.

While physical fitness is the most obvious hula hooping benefit, many people don’t realize just how fit hula hooping can make you. There is not a muscle that you won’t hit using a hula hoop in all the various ways there is to do so.

You can work out your arms, legs, core, back, shoulders, chest, butt, neck, literally every single inch of your body, using a hula hoop.

And hula hooping even just around your waist is proven to burn up to 600 calories per hour, as much as something a lot less fun, like jogging.

I teach you the full spectrum of hula hoop moves in my best-selling Six Week Challenge, which I highly recommend you sign up for if you want to get a strong start in your hoop journey. It is 100% taught by me, Lindsay Redd, the founder of Ruby Hooping. And it is designed to be accessible to everyone, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.

Hula Hooping Benefit #5 – Community

Me and one of my best friends Corrinne, who I met thru hula hooping.

I can’t stress this one enough. And first I need to tell you that I am an introvert.

Now, a lot of people think introvert means shy, but it really doesn’t. I am not shy. I do, however, get drained from being around people too much. 

So when I say that hula hooping benefits me by connecting me with a vibrant community, you know there has to be something extra special here. 

I’m the type of person that would rather be home with my dogs than around a crowd of people most of the time, but hooping actually brings the social butterfly out of me sometimes, and definitely more than any of my other “hobbies” in life.  (I put hobby in quotes because hooping is so much more than a hobby).

There’s something really amazing about hula hooping with others. ESPECIALLY other people involved in the Ruby Hooping community, because in addition to hooping we have an overarching theme of LOVE. Love each other, love ourselves, love our bodies, love life. 

The Ruby community is such a special group of people. We appreciate each other’s differences and what each person brings to the table. We love to share hooping skills with each other. We love to just let go and flow to the music together.

This community grew organically. I have never once ran ads to try to get more people into our Facebook group, or to come to our Ruby Retreat. Everyone involved is here because they were drawn to our brand due to the strong self love while hula hooping aesethetic, or because somebody already in our community brought them in!

We are all happy and grateful to be here. And we are all ready to welcome all newcomers.

Even as an introvert, to know that I have a community like this in my life that I can lean on, and share with, means a whole hell of a lot.

When we get together whether online or in person, we all leave feeling renewed. Fresh perspectives. Inspiration. Encouragement. Wellness!

I hope this article helped you gain an understanding of not just how hula hooping has benefited my life, but more importantly how it can benefit yours.

To find out what kind of hula hoop style you gravitate toward the most, take my quiz now!

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making hula hoops
DIY Hula Hoops

Types of Tubing Used for Making Hula Hoops

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

Whether you are interested in making hula hoops or buying them, figuring out what type of hula hoop tubing you want can be pretty confusing, especially to beginners!  There are quite a few types of hula hoop tubing available today, and each kind of tubing generally comes in different sizes.

Here is our easy to understand guide to all the types of tubing used for making hula hoops.

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Beginner Hula Hooping

Top Ten Things Hoopers Need (Besides a Hula Hoop)

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

This list has been updated for 2022!

Okay, I realize the line between need and want is a fine line.  So the word “need” is being used loosely here.  There are just certain things we need as hoopers!

If you’re new to hooping but already know it will be a life long obsession, this list is for you.

Or, if you’re looking for some great gift ideas for the hula hooper in your life, this article should help you out as well.

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Beginner Hula Hooping

Why does hula hooping hurt my waist?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

This post has been updated for 2022.

Hula hooping seems like such a fun, colorful way to get your daily workout in, doesn’t it?  Besides the fact that hula hooping burns mega calories, tones muscle and improves your cardiovascular health, I’ve also never seen anyone spin a hula hoop without smiling at the same time. It’s impossible, trust me!

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Hula Hoop Health Benefits

What Are The Health Benefits of Hula Hooping?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

This post has been updated for 2022.

There are plenty of generic articles on the topic of hula hooping health benefits, so if you’re just looking for scientific data, this probably isn’t the article for you. I’m not a doctor or a scientist.

I’m just somebody who has been hula hooping, teaching hooping, and making custom hoops for people of all body types for 8 years. I can tell you about how much hula hooping has enriched and improved my life, and how I know it will do the same for you.

#1 Health Benefit of Hula Hooping – Improved Mental State

There are literally so many health benefits of hooping, I could write a dozen articles or more about this topic. It’s hard for me to choose which benefit is truly the best, or has had the most impact on my life.

But when it all comes down to it, hula hooping has made me a happier, more grounded, calmer and more confident person – so I have to say the mental health benefits of hula hooping are above all else.

Dagny Sanche pictured, photo by Toastography

When you turn on your favorite music and spend some time just hooping, you will get lost in your hoop.

You will feel a sense of peace and calmness inside that you maybe have never felt before. You will enter what is described by experts as a “flow state” – a state of mind where you’re basically in meditation mode – you’re not thinking about when the rent is due, or worrying about the corona virus, and you’re not comparing yourself to others on social media.

You’re focused only on one thing – the hoop swirling around you. It is so refreshing.  It is beautiful, and amazing, and it feels SO good.

To see myself and many others hooping in our flow state on Instagram, follow our hashtags #rubyfam and #ihoopforme. I know you will see the look of serenity on our faces and want in on this.

I’m not suggesting that hula hoops should replace proper mental health care from medical professionals,

But what I am saying is that hula hooping certainly can be an instrumental part of an overall wellness plan in your life.  You can find countless testimonies to this in our Facebook group, Ruby Hoopers.  Hoops provide relief that nothing else I’ve experienced.

Hula hooping is so fun and interesting to learn, that before you know it, you’ve unlocked skills that not only will amaze yourself, but will impress your friends and family. You will be amazed at what you can do just using a plastic circle and your physical body. Click here to take my Six Week Beginner Hula Hoop Challenge

This feeling of achievement that we get through our hoop practice is not to be understated – it makes you feel proud of yourself, accomplished, and driven to keep going to achieve more skills with your hoop.

It’s hard to put into words what hula hoops do for us on a mental level. But once you give it a try, you will completely understand.

Charlotte Dillard with her rainbow sectional Ruby hoop

How hula hooping can improve our relationships

Hooping gives us a feeling of direction when we maybe didn’t feel one before, so it can really help with our sense of self confidence.

I bring hula hoops to all parties and gatherings. I know they will always bring a smile to people’s faces, so these hoops literally give me the power to bring a moment of happiness to people’s lives. 

Some of my best friends I met through hula hooping. Eight years ago, when it was really hard to find any plus size women like myself involved in hula hooping, I started trying to build a community online and made some of the best friends I will ever have in this life. You can be part of our community by joining our Ruby Hoopers Facebook group.

Our newest sticker design drawn by me, Mama Ruby. Pictures myself and my best friend Hashley

For me, as an introverted personality, I always felt kind of awkward at gatherings just standing around making small talk. I was never good at small talk. 

The hoop gives me something to focus my energy on, while also entertaining others. These conditions always set the tone for me to feel more confident and personable, resulting in new friends, better existing relationships, and even opportunities I would never expect.

On a more personal level, I also strongly feel that hula hooping helped me gain the beautiful little family I have now. My love of hooping and sharing hooping with others is what bonded me to my husband when we first met, because who doesn’t like a person with passion and purpose in life?  Since then, hula hooping has continued to help me be a good partner throughout our marriage because I am able to maintain a sense of peace and clarity through regular hoop practice. And when we decided to grow our family, I was ready physically and mentally for all the things pregnancy and motherhood would bring, even as I gave birth for the first time at age 37. This is because through hooping I achieved a strong body and a confident mind. 

Our little family

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how amazing hula hooping is for bringing families together, since it’s a fun activity everyone can do together. Gather up some hoops, all the kids, and head out to the back yard for some quality, screen-free time in the sun that will make sure your kids sleep good tonight.

Physical Health Benefits of Hula Hooping

Weight Loss

As a body positive advocate, I don’t throw the term weight loss around lightly, so I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that everyone who hula hoops should try to lose weight, or that weight loss is always a health benefit. I am only saying that if you want to use hula hooping as a tool to help you lose weight, you absolutely can.

Hula hooping is low impact cardio, meaning it’s great for getting your heart rate up without damage to your joints, so if you want to burn calories, hooping can help you do that.

Start Hooping With My Six Week Challenge Today

I personally have used hooping to help me lose weight at various times throughout my life, and I can tell you that half an hour of hula hooping is every bit as effective as half an hour of Zumba or any other cardio activity. 

You can also use hula hoops as more of a strength building workout, moving slower and doing repetitions to tone arms, core, legs, and more. Building muscle can be an important component of weight loss, since more muscle means more calories getting burned.

Corrinne Coomes of #TeamRuby

Muscle Toning

Hula hooping requires use of so many different muscles in your body that you probably don’t use much in your regular day to day life, so it really gives you a well rounded workout for all over toning.

If you’re like me and you’re not really necessarily interested in weight loss as the main goal, but you do want to tone your body so you can have more energy, be able to play with your kids without getting tired so fast, and just feel good overall, hula hooping is really helpful for this as well.

The amazing thing about hula hooping is that it doesn’t matter what style of hooping you do – you will still use your core muscles, you will still use your arms and your legs, you will still need your back and chest.

You will be moving in ways that may feel unfamiliar at first but over time will start to feel natural as you get stronger.

You will bloom into the most graceful, strong hoop dancer as you learn and practice more and more.

It doesn’t matter your size, age, or anything else. Whether you are plus size like me, or petite, whether you are tall, short, young or old, whether you have special circumstances, you can absolutely get stronger and tone your muscles from hula hooping. 

Go here to see what size hoop you should start with.

Or, take our quiz to find out what style of hula hooping you are most into!

Pictured: Corrinne Coomes of #TeamRuby

Lower Blood Pressure

I can’t stress the importance of this enough, because high blood pressure is, as we all know, a silent killer, something that affects millions of us across the world but we often never even know it’s a problem until its too late.

Hula hooping regularly gets your heart rate up, which improves cardiovascular health – gets your blood pumping and your heart working like it should to stay in tip top shape. Countless studies have shown that even a simple regimen of physical movement can work wonders for our blood pressure and hula hooping is no exception to that. This is one of the most vital hula hooping benefits there is.

I can personally attest to this; in my late 20s I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, which I had to go on medication for; this was actually the catalyst for me to even find hooping–I was looking for something to help me make a change in my life to become a person with healthier habits including moving my body more. Hooping was the thing that stuck for me, and I was able to bring my blood pressure down before I turned 30 to a point that I no longer needed medication. 

When I became pregnant at age 36, I was concerned about experiencing high blood pressure during pregnancy which is common, but thankfully I got through it fine. I hooped throughout my entire pregnancy!

I have also monitored my blood pressure closely since my child was born, because I gained some weight with my pregnancy that I haven’t lost, and I wanted to see if that was going to make my blood pressure go up. 

I’m sure thanks in part to my regular hoop practice, my blood pressure is normal and stable.

Pictured: Nicki Dodson at Ruby Retreat 2019

Improved Coordination & Balance

This has been a big one for me, because I honestly am surprised at just how much my coordination and balance have improved through hooping.

My husband often comments on how amazing I am at catching things I drop before they hit the floor, for example. My footwork is amazing, I never trip or lose my balance. I am so used to standing and moving through really awkward positions in order to achieve certain hoop tricks, that I can really stay strong and balanced standing or walking or even jumping in all kinds of weird ways!

My coordination is amazing too; I can catch things easier if someone tosses me something, I can just move through my life with more physical confidence and elegance than I could before I started hooping. It feels easier to be productive and multitask to keep my household working, and to keep my hoop shop running.

Now that I’m going to be turning 40 in the near future, it’s more important than ever to me to keep working on my coordination and balance so that I can continue to enjoy all that life has to offer without worrying about hurting myself.

I love rainbows ok?

Hula hooping has many health benefits!

I didn’t plan on this article being this long, but there’s just so much to say about how hula hooping is impacting lives. If you are curious about hula hooping, I want you to know from knowing me that hula hooping is absolutely magical. It is really helping people from all walks of life and it can help you too. 

Give me a few minutes a day for six weeks of your life and you will experience everything I have written about here today. I promise you that!

Stephanie of #TeamRuby, photo by Toastography

 

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Beginner Hula Hooping

What Size Hula Hoop Should a Beginner Use?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

This post has been updated for 2022.

Hoop dance is exploding in popularity because it enriches lives so much with just a simple circle.  If you’ve ever browsed the glittery offerings of a professional hula hoop shop, you know that hoops come in a lot of shapes, colors, weights, sizes. It can get really confusing, really fast.

So, this article is a must read if you are interested in starting hula hooping. 

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can you hula hoop if you are fat
Hula Hoop for Plus Size

Can You Hula Hoop if You are Fat?

by Mama Ruby
written by Mama Ruby

This post has been updated for 2022.

Short answer: YES.  Yes you can 100% learn to hula hoop if you are fat, skinny, tall, short, young, or old!

When I started Ruby Hooping nearly ten years ago, I was a, shall we say, curvy woman who had been writing about plus-size fitness for a few years.  I had made it my mission in life to show the world that we curvy ladies can do anything we set our minds to, and that we should not allow our physical size to be an excuse not to live life to its fullest.

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