Can You Hula Hoop if You are Fat?

This post has been updated for 2022.

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

When I started Ruby Hooping eight 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.

Can I just say first of all that I’m not sure how I feel about the word “fat”? I’ve been hearing it all my life, and so for me it connects with not so pleasant memories.

However, I am aware of a growing fat positive movement and I support it. And I used the word fat in the title so you would find me, because Google says that “can I hula hoop if I’m fat” is the way you guys are asking the question.

>>Click Here to Enroll in my Six Week Beginner Hula Hoop Challenge for All Bodies!

Jessie Broschart of the Ruby Hooping Sponsored Hoopers team!

However, when I first saw a hula hooping video go viral on Facebook, it zoomed right past my radar.  As a kid I was always large and could never hula hoop like my peers, so it was a very ingrained belief in my mind that I would never be able to do it.  I quickly moved on to the next Facebook post, which was probably a cat meme.

But the thought kept nagging me.  It just seemed so dang cool!  I had always loved to dance to music, because it’s so joyful and freeing.  Dancing with a hula hoop just seemed irresistibly fun.  So I went to Walmart and picked up a kid hoop, like 99% of folks do when they don’t know any better.

But Really, Can You Hula Hoop if You are Fat?

Of course, I wasn’t able to hoop with that dang hoop.  It was so small and light, designed for a child’s body.  I felt discouraged but wasn’t ready to give up yet.  I did a few Google searches and eventually discovered that larger people CAN hula hoop, we just need larger hoops!  I found one little article buried deep in the depths of the internet that gave instructions on how to make my own hula hoop.

I ran out to the local Home Depot that afternoon, made a large 44″ hoop out of irrigation tubing, and gave it a spin.  Although I wasn’t able to fully hoop yet, I could feel the difference immediately and knew I would be learning how to hula hoop very soon!

The rest is history, of course.  For the past five years we have been getting the message out as far and wide as we can across this great planet about the many benefits of hula hooping.  Not only does it burn calories and tone muscle, but it gives peace of mind and tranquility, it restores and grows confidence and love for your body, it opens you up to a beautiful worldwide community of hula hoopers ready to support and love you, and so much more.

Did I mention increases coordination and flexibility?  Oh, and it can relieve depression and help addiction problems too.

I could not tell you the number of emails I have received over the years from women who tell me that because of their size, they never thought they could hula hoop until they found Ruby Hooping.  This warms my heart so much!

Ashley Cribbs, sponsored Ruby hooper, who took her Ruby hoop all the way to Ireland!

So if you got on the internet today to find out if you can hula hoop if you’re fat, and you stumbled across my page, then my job here is done.  

The answer is YES.  Yes you can hula hoop, you beautiful curvy goddess!  Head on over to our beginner hoop page and grab one now.  If you aren’t sure what size you need, check out this article for assistance.  If you still need help, message me on Facebook at any time.

Once you get a hoop, I highly encourage you to take my Six Week Beginner Hula Hoop Challenge for All Bodies.  I will teach you everything I know and help you develop your own beautiful flow, at your own pace, 24/7, from the comfort of your home! 

I’m proud to say that I can do things with a hula hoop I never dreamed possible three years ago.  I have performed for people near and far and now I even teach my own hula hoop fitness class here locally.  Everything I have learned how to do, you can too-all it takes is the desire to learn and practice!

Check out @rubyhooping on Instagram to see what my flow looks like these days!  You can also look at the hashtags #RubyFam and #CurvyHoopersUnite to see many other curvy hoopers doing their thang!  Also make sure to join our awesome hoop community on Facebook, Ruby Hoopers!

Check out our most recent video, which shows that hooping truly is for everyone regardless of your body type!