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Beyoncé, Michelle Obama and Liv Tyler have long been fans of this fitness trend, and recently models Anna Wilken and Angelina Kirsch and influencer Diana zur Löwen have also been.
We are talking about “hooping” - or as German hula hoop fans call it “hullern” - that is, the swinging of a hula hoop.
If you only think of a funny plastic toy from childhood, you should carefully scroll through TikTok or Instagram: enthusiastic hula hoop fans like @janiniditahiti, who had a six-pack in three months, post before and after pictures of their training success and give them fitness -Influencers like Elli Haschke alias @elli_hoop Tips for perfect workouts.
Is it just a strange new bloom that drives the lockdown-induced boredom at home or is there more to it?
In fact, it's more than a fun adult exercise tool.
Studies on the effectiveness of hula hoops suggest that you can achieve quick results with regular exercise.
For example, a study published in the specialist magazine “Obesity Facts” has shown that exercising with a weighted hula hoop can both reduce belly fat and significantly increase core muscle mass.
For six weeks, the test subjects were supposed to train for 13 minutes a day with a 1.5 kg tire.
The result: Your waist circumference decreased by an average of three centimeters.
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In another study, the subjects lost an average of 3.4 centimeters at their waist and 1.4 centimeters at their hips after six weeks of hooping.
In addition to reducing fat and building abdominal muscles, the training also strengthens the back and the pelvic floor (many midwives therefore recommend hula hoops as a support for regression) and shapes the buttocks and thighs.
It also ensures a straight posture and more self-confidence: “Not only the lower back is trained, but also the back extensors, and that makes the entire posture more upright.
A stable center is important for our well-being and our mental fitness, ”says Hula-Hoop trainer Haschke in a telephone interview.
This is a good balance, especially in times of home office.
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An effect that should have been less of a priority when this device was invented.
In 1957, the US toy manufacturer Wham-O brought the first hula hoop onto the market - in the same year as the Frisbee disc, by the way.
This gave the company its breakthrough: within four months, the hula hoop (the name of which is derived from the Hawaiian dance “hula” and the English word for tire) sold 25 million times.
The tire was just as popular in antiquity - at that time still without a cool name, but made sustainably from grapevines instead of plastic.
For many years it had become quiet about the happy hoops, one still had to do with them everywhere as part of rhythmic gymnastics.
And now: they are back as a training device for adults - a bit bigger and heavier than in childhood, but no less fun.
As with any sport, hooping releases endorphins, relieves tension and puts you in a good mood.
Finding your own flow can also be a great exercise to clear your head, says the hula hoop trainer.
She does it everywhere, while shopping online, reading, watching TV and even playing with her children.
In addition, many tires are foldable and can be taken practically anywhere.
The attraction lies precisely in this low threshold, i.e. being able to incorporate hooping into the daily routine at any time.
And best of all: There are no maintenance costs or monthly fees.
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When making an initial investment, however, care should be taken to buy a stable tire.
“Unfortunately, a lot of scrap is being offered at the moment because all dealers want to swim with the waves.
But an unstable, wobbly tire is difficult to keep up, and motivation is quickly lost.
Good manufacturers are Swingfit *, Proiron * or Resultsport * - but they are currently often sold out, ”says Haschke.
In this case, she recommends waiting a month or two to get a good tire than buying inferior quality.
How big should the tire be?
You won't find the right fitness tire in the toy store, however, because the tiny and light versions for children are almost impossible for adults to keep up.
"You can only do that with a lot of body tension," says Haschke, who got her coaching license in popular sport.
In order to determine the right diameter - 90 to 110 centimeters are common - of the training device, one measures the distance from the tips of the toes to the navel.
And how difficult?
The more trained and experienced you are, the higher the weight you can handle.
In the beginning it is important to choose a weight that you can sustain for the duration of the workout, otherwise your technique and form will suffer.
However, the beginner's device shouldn't be too light either, because the heavier the tire, the more centrifugal forces can act - so it swings more slowly, which helps keep it up.
Haschke recommends a weight of 1.2 kilograms for beginners.
With one caveat: “The heavier the body weight, the heavier the tire should be.” She recommends a tire weighing more than 80 kilograms and a tire weighing more than 100 kilograms and a tire weighing two kilograms.
The entry-level model * should also not be too thin for reasons of comfort.
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Advanced and hula hoop dancers rely on smaller and lighter models - around 90 centimeters tall and weighing less than 600 grams.
It takes more effort to keep the lightweights up, but they offer the possibility of rotating them with other parts of the body.
Training with an extra heavy hula hoop * weighing between 1.5 and two kilograms is as intense as it is sweaty.
Haschke even trains with 3.2 kilograms, but particularly advises beginners against it.
Pimples or waves - soft or hard?
Tires with massage nubs * increase the training effect, they are supposed to stress the muscles and increase fat burning.
Hula hoop professional Haschke advises waves, however, that would have the same effect and be more tolerable.
“With wave tires * you also have a consistent massage effect, the connective tissue is well supplied with blood, and that tightens the skin.
Of course, pimples intensify the effect, but I wouldn't train with them permanently - it's more of a nice gimmick for in between. "
Weighted hula hoops, especially those with knobs or waves, are usually all made of a soft foam material to protect the spine from the bumps - but the foam cover only prevents bruises to a limited extent.
How often and how long do you train?
Still, the hula hoop is a challenging and invigorating way to improve aerobic health.
Health professionals recommend doing at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week.
This reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strengthens the immune system, improves brain function and lowers the level of stress.
Similar to other aerobic sports, swinging the hula hoop burns an average of 165 calories per half hour - as a woman;
according to a study by the Mayo Clinic, men even have around 200 calories.
But especially at the beginning it is important not to overdo it.
Haschke recommends two to three minutes to start with: "If you have no pain the next day, you can gradually increase your training by 30 seconds at a time." Units per week of ten to 20 minutes each.
Which clothes?
It is advisable to train in figure-hugging, thin clothing.
If it sits too loosely, it can easily get caught in the tire - the thinner the layer between skin and tire, the easier it is to control.
Haschke does not consider protective neoprene belts to be suitable because they make tire swinging difficult.
So you'd better train belly-free in a sports top?
That would of course be the easiest, but the first few attempts can easily lead to bruises in the waist and stomach area.
Haschke therefore recommends starting slowly: “The skin has to get used to it first.
And if there are bruises: take a break. "
How do you hover properly?
The momentum doesn't come from the hips: “Abdominal tension is essential to keep the tire up, because it is only controlled with the abdominal muscles,” says Haschke.
A typical beginner's mistake, however, is that the tension in the stomach subsides as soon as you consciously breathe.
The trainer explains that a tire circles with enough tension just by pushing and pushing it.
So don't take the momentum out of your hips, but tense your stomach, don't forget to breathe and move your pelvis forwards and backwards or to the left and right.
Another mistake: beginners tend to pull their arms up for fear of reaching the tire.
"This leads to tension in the neck and shoulder area, so make sure you pull your shoulder back and stretch your chest out," says Haschke.
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And where should you put your feet?
“They are allowed to stand as it feels best - I have them parallel to each other.
However, if you prefer to stand in a step position, you should tilt your pelvis a little forward, ie step out of your hollow back, ”says Haschke.
If you stand upright, the next thing to do is to put the hoop around your waist, parallel to the floor, swing it while keeping tension, shoulders down, chest out, don't forget to breathe and start rocking.
"That doesn't sound like much, but at the beginning it is very exhausting and requires a lot of thought," says the hula hoop trainer.
Haschke recommends introducing variety so that training doesn't get boring.
For example, you can change the direction of swing and let the tire circle lower or higher - down to the bottom or up to the ribs.
“And of course you can make real workouts out of it.
Squats or lunges are ideal for this;
you can also do jumping jacks or march while hulling - there are countless exercises for arms and legs while circling.
The tire can also be used simply as additional weight for other exercises.
So it never gets boring, ”says Haschke.
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