During the pandemic many of us picked up skipping ropes for our daily dose of exercise, and now hula-hooping is the latest playground game to make a resurgence.
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Reportedly loved by the likes of Beyonce, Lizzo and Gal Gadot, there's more to hooping than simply standing in the schoolyard. "Hula-hooping brings out the inner child in everyone," says John Aiwone, instructor at boutique London fitness spot Rumble Dalston. "For that reason, among many others, it is one of the fastest-growing trends in the fitness industry."
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We spoke to fitness pros about why it's time to take up your childhood hobby once more.
1. Hula-hooping burns calories
"A simple 30 minutes of hula-hooping at a consistent pace can burn over 150 calories," explains personal trainer Bailey Shaw, who works with wellness brand fourfive. "Even better, if you grab yourself a weighted hula-hoop you can increase this to around 200 calories per 30-minute session."
Hula-hooping burns an impressive amount of calories
2. Hula-hooping tones your core
"Hula-hooping is great for engaging your core muscles, supporting weight loss and improving metabolism," adds John.
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3. Hula-hooping improves your posture
"Hula-hooping encourages good posture," says Bailey, who explains that to fully benefit from hula hooping you need to actively engage your core throughout the 30-minute session.
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