The effectiveness of a waist hoop: features of use, contraindications, reviews

Is it possible to lose weight with a hoop?

During their school years, many women twirled hula hoops in physical education classes. Not everyone was able to do it right away, and the hoop training itself seemed more like a game than physical exercise. Is it possible to lose weight by hula hooping? Judging by the reviews, before and after photos, the effectiveness of the waist hoop is undeniable.

You can buy hula hoops in sports stores or order them online. And some women don’t even need to buy anything - they still have hoops from their school days. Sports equipment will help to cope with fat on the waist and sides, which the fair sex does not like so much.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the waist hoop, you need to practice regularly. The most popular are hula hoops with massage balls. But there are also many women who got rid of extra centimeters at the waist with the help of an ordinary lightweight plastic hoop.

Hula hooping is much more fun than running cross-country or lifting dumbbells. Thanks to the prostate and efficiency, the hoop has many fans. The results for women are different, because a lot depends on the intensity of training and initial excess weight. Experienced athletes recommend combining hula hooping with watching TV or listening to your favorite music.

Choosing a hoop

Which hoop is best to use for weight loss? If you decide to transform your figure with the help of this equipment, you need to know how to choose it correctly - there are several points to consider here.

• Criterion No. 1 – the weight of the hoop. First of all, let’s find out whether the hoop should be heavy or light. On the one hand, a light hoop is harder to unwind - you need to make more effort to maintain balance. The whole body is more involved here. This applies to both thin plastic hoops and metal hoops (they are a little heavier, but the effect will be the same).

But, on the other hand, a lightweight hoop has minimal impact on problem areas - the waist, stomach and sides. But the heavy one, on the contrary, works them out perfectly! Therefore, if you want to get rid of extra centimeters in your waist, you should definitely choose a heavy hoop or a medium-weight hoop. For beginners and physically unprepared people, a weight of 1.5-2 kg will be enough. But if you are close to sports, the best weight for the hoop will be 2-3 kg.

How to choose a hoop by weight

• Criterion No. 2 – diameter. This factor depends on the height of the person who will be practicing with the hoop. It is worth remembering the basic rule: if you place the hoop on the floor, it should reach your lower ribs. If you purchase a product with a diameter that is too large, it will be more difficult for you to maintain balance with it and train in general - the hoop will constantly fall.

• Criterion No. 3 – type of internal surface . There are 2 types of products - smooth and massage. The first ones will be less effective and are only suitable for beginners. But the massage hoops are equipped with special balls that perfectly work out the entire waist area - and the hoop was twirled and a massage session was performed. But the pain from them is also more pronounced.

The most popular massage hoop is the hula hoop. It is designed for more intense workouts, but provides more efficiency from your workouts. This hoop has a thicker design and is equipped with magnetic balls. They rotate around their axis, which provides softer contact with the skin. The hula hoop can be either plastic or rubber and foldable.

So, to summarize the above, the hoop should suit your height and be weighty. If you feel that it has become too easy to twist, replace it with a heavier option. And with a hoop that has massage balls on it, you can work out the abdominal and side areas faster and more efficiently.

Interesting: Effective exercises for the waist and sides

Operating principle

Not only women, but also men talk about the effectiveness of waist hoops. Some representatives of the stronger sex also like to hula hoop. They like that this projectile is easy to handle, and the risk of injury is minimal when using it.

What is the basis for the effectiveness of a waist hoop? Hula hooping is a low-intensity cardio exercise. During an hour of training, an athlete will burn an average of 350 kilocalories. The effectiveness of the exercises will depend on the time spent, the type of hoop and the frequency of rotation. Low-intensity cardio is great for your heart and overall health.

Trainers advise exercising regularly; this will have a beneficial effect on the final result. A woman’s endurance will increase and she will be able to increase her training time. At first, it is advisable for the hula hoop to be the only sports equipment. But in just a few months it will be possible to combine hoop spinning with other types of fitness. If a woman can’t wait to see the result, then she is advised to reconsider her diet. It is advisable to avoid fatty and heavy foods, as well as fast food. The list of prohibited foods includes smoked and fried foods.

The benefits and harms of hoops for weight loss

By regularly spinning a hoop or hula hoop, the risk of developing the following diseases is reduced:

1. Diabetes.
2. Atherosclerosis.
3. Hypertension.
4. Scoliosis.

Due to the great effectiveness of exercises with a hoop for weight loss, such physical exercise will help not only remove the symptoms of certain diseases, but also make your waist beautiful.

Even beginners can do such exercises as they do not require any enormous effort. All you need to do is take a hoop, turn on the TV or music and spin it for 10 minutes a day. Under load, the skin in problem areas is smoothed and fat is eliminated.

Without proper training, you should gradually increase the load to prevent injury.

It is important to know! Despite the advantages of the hoop, it can also cause harm in the form of bruises. And if the hoop was chosen incorrectly, it could cause significant injuries.

Choosing a hoop

Now in sports stores you can see many different models of hula hoops: metal, plastic, massage with rubber balls, weighted and others. You need to choose a hoop based on your personal needs. For example, one woman needs to get rid of extra centimeters on her waist, while another just wants to increase her own stamina - they will need different models. If you can’t choose a hoop on your own, you can consult a coach or a sports store salesperson.

The classic gymnastic hula hoop can be made of plastic, aluminum or iron. Many people are familiar with this type of hoop from their school days. This variety does not leave bruises or injure the athlete, so it is well suited for children and teenagers. If a woman has never twirled a hula hoop in her life or has just started doing physical exercises, then she should choose a classic apparatus.

Reviews about the effectiveness of the waist hoop are inspiring. Most often they describe the effect of a massage hula hoop with rubber balls. They have an additional effect on the abdominal area, so the extra centimeters melt away faster. But despite the positive reviews about the effectiveness of the waist hoop, it is not recommended to start training with it right away. It will be better if a woman twirls a classic hula hoop for at least 2-4 weeks to avoid injuries.

Where to start classes?

You cannot immediately give unprepared muscles a large load. You need to start your classes by twisting a light hula hoop. Reviews about the effectiveness of conventional waist hoops are mostly positive. Weight loss when using light hoops is often slower, but quickly lost pounds often come back just as easily.

Classes with a classic hula hoop should start with 3 minutes and gradually increase to 20-30. When training begins to be easy, you can purchase a heavier model of sports equipment. Some girls, in order to save money, simply pour sand into a regular hula hoop.

If a woman dreams of exercising with a massage hoop with rubber balls, then she should be prepared for the appearance of bruises. When twisting a heavy hula hoop, bruises are common. During exercise, a woman may experience pain. Some girls wear a sweater or something similar during their first training sessions, as thick clothing reduces the likelihood of bruising. Soon the body will adapt to the activity and the need for a sweater will disappear.

Hula hoop... good or bad?

Here's what I found on the Internet:

1. Hula hoop leads to changes in the topography of internal organs and disruption of their function, both at the beginning of classes and during long-term classes. 2. Bruises after twirling are similar to bruises after rough massage and can lead to scarring of the subcutaneous tissue in the form of abdominal tuberosity. 3. Unilateral hula hoop exercises lead to the formation of a square stomach due to increased tone of the oblique abdominal muscles. 4. It’s not worth spreading your positive experience to the entire contingent of hula hoopers. Just as you should not engage in any type of physical education without individual selection, both of sports equipment (or maybe exercise equipment will suit someone) and individual characteristics. 5. Long-term hula hoop training can lead to weak fixation of the spine due to an involuntary increase in the volume of rotation, the number of repetitions, and the strength of rotation in one direction compared to the other. We are all asymmetrical. 6. Hypertonicity of the abdominal muscles is not able to adequately and fully fix the spine during rapidly changing movements (for example, a trip to the subway, etc.) due to the fact that the long abdominal muscles have an auxiliary effect that fixes the spine, and not the main one. 7. There are other methods of strengthening the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. 8. Hydrodynamic pressure/impacts on the hydrostatically stabilized abdominal cavity (due to tension of the abdominal muscles) leads to better conductivity of short pressure (bruise) on the abdomen (the hoop touches the abdomen in one place for a very short time). I would write it differently - play candy wrappers on the patient's stomach - hit the stomach with a tense (hard) palm or a rolled-up newspaper on the stomach. The abdomen cannot be constantly tense - periods of tension and relaxation alternate in microseconds. Please don’t compare it with karate; they hold the blow quite short - not all 20-40 minutes of spins. Therefore, a situation periodically arises when the shock wave propagates deep into the abdomen. This is not good for internal organs, just like any prolonged vibration.

And more abstracts from the sites:

We are asymmetrical and inadvertently rotate the hoop in one direction with greater amplitude and make more rotations than in the other. This leads to scoliotic deformation in the future. The impact of a hula hoop on a tense abdominal wall causes a hydrostatic shock to the internal organs. When the hula hoop is pressed on the anterior abdominal wall, the pelvic organs are pressed downwards (hence the prolapse of the uterus and the anterior vaginal wall in the future). Proponents of hula hoop should closely follow the career of hula hoop exercises. Came into fashion in the 60s, then disappeared for thirty years precisely for these reasons. The farce is repeated - hula hoop is actively promoted by its manufacturers. The entertainment is good, but not suitable for regular activities.

If massage with bruises is harmful (microhematomas remain with the outcome in connective tissue scars), then why are bruises during hula hooping useful? Tell me the direction of pressing (hitting) movements on the stomach is physiological or not? Where the organs are pressed if you press on the stomach with inertial pressure (impact) with a hoop. Is movement along the large intestine, stomach, etc. taken into account? If there are bruises, this is no longer pressure, but trauma. Why is the class of a massage therapist assessed by the absence of bruises, but hula hooping is not scary?

Nature did not provide for hoop training. Pressing on the stomach to improve digestion is done in a certain order, the same for childbirth. This is one of the reasons that damage to the hip joints is an order of magnitude higher in women.

The hoop knocks down the internal organs (especially if it is heavy) and helps to expand the waist. The fact that the hoop supposedly removes the belly is a myth. There is no unit that can remove fat from one or another part of the body. In my opinion, this is the last day, and besides, it is really harmful to health. From a Russian medical server. Is the opinion of chiropractor Sittel correct that hula hoops are very harmful to the spine? It is doubtful that there is any evidence base about the dangers or benefits of challah chuppah for the spine. From a biomechanical point of view, complex multiplanar movements can result in damage with natural pain. Especially for an untrained person. There is one more aspect to consider. People often start using challah hoops at a young age in order to improve their figure. Considering the complete futility of using the device in this direction, but the risk of damage, we can recommend not to do this.

Girls, what do you think? I have a hula hoop, I spin it sometimes, but I’m wondering: is it worth it?

Removing the belly and sides

A waist hoop with balls effectively combats problem areas in women. In order to speed up the process, it is recommended to hula hoop on an empty stomach. The abdominal muscles will work better if you expel excess air from the abdomen. To do this, make it a rule to do a simple exercise before training. Inhale deeply through your nose and inflate your belly as if it were a balloon. Then deflate and do the exercise again. 4-5 repetitions are enough.

During your workout, work hard and don't let your abdominal muscles relax even for a single second. You can additionally use a thermal belt, it will improve the results and protect against hematomas. You shouldn’t rely only on physical exercise; trainers recommend adjusting your diet. After completing classes, do not eat for at least another 1.5 hours.

In order for weight loss to be smooth, do not exercise for too long. It is better to abstain from workouts lasting more than an hour, especially at the initial stage of weight loss. If the extra pounds have stopped falling off, despite diet and regular exercise, you just need to wait, soon the scale arrow will start moving to the left again.

Hoop exercises

Hula hoop training will not only help you lose weight, but also strengthen your muscles. In reviews of the effectiveness of waist ball hoops, women emphasize that their muscles have become more beautiful and stronger. Exercises with a hula hoop to create a slim figure:

1. The woman stands up straight and brings her feet together. Then she spins the hoop only on her legs for 5 minutes, then the same amount on her hips. This exercise helps reduce volume in the lower body and remove the breeches.
2. The woman stands up straight, her feet should be shoulder-width apart. Then she spins the hoop for 5 minutes in one direction and 5 minutes in the other. Then she spreads her legs very wide and performs the repetition. This exercise makes your waist thin and removes excess volume from your hips.
3. The woman stands straight, her feet should be shoulder-width apart. She spins the hoop, performing various movements - steps, balancing on tiptoes, bending. This exercise effectively trains all the muscles of the body. Perform for 5-7 minutes.
4. The woman stands straight, her feet should be shoulder-width apart. First, she simply spins the hoop for 30 seconds. Then, without stopping doing this, the woman shifts her weight first to one leg, then to the other. Perform for 5 minutes. This exercise improves the shape of your shins.
5. The woman stands up straight, her feet should be shoulder-width apart. She begins to spin the hula hoop and at the same time does shallow squats. Perform for 5 minutes. This exercise trains the leg muscles.

This complex is suitable only for women who have average physical fitness; it will be difficult for beginners to perform it. Before classes, it is recommended to do a short warm-up.

How to practice with a hula hoop?

Exercises with a hoop for weight loss have some rules, the implementation of which can ensure your safety and enable you to quickly achieve results. Why follow these tips:

• Choose a spacious place - hula hooping in a cluttered room with a bunch of breakable and small objects is tantamount to an earthquake. If there is not enough space in the apartment, you can go to the stadium or to the courtyard.
• Spin the hoop only on an empty stomach, if you do exercises during the day or in the evening - make sure that at least 1.5-2 hours have passed after eating. Active loads on the muscles in the waist area are unacceptable for the stomach, which is working on digesting food.
• Monitor the correct activity: it is advisable to raise your arms a little up so as not to interfere, tighten your buttocks and abs, straighten your back. When performing exercises, you need to breathe evenly. It is advisable to start with 6-8 minutes of exercise in the morning and evening, gradually moving on to longer workouts - several times daily for 1.5 hours.
• When starting to practice with a hula hoop, rotate it in the direction that is most convenient for you - this will make it easier to adapt to the new machine. But after a while, be sure to alternate sides: a imbalance in the loads can result in an asymmetrical waist.
• It is advisable not to drop the hoop - this takes up precious time. It’s better if you feel that it’s subsiding, speed up the rotation, make it more intense and sweeping.
• If, when moving on to the massage hoop, you have bruises on your hips and waist, then first you can put on a thick medical belt or simply wrap yourself in a scarf. Most often, bruises appear only in the first week, and then, if the skin is not very delicate, it gets used to the stress. If after a few weeks of working with a hoop the bruises do not go away, then you need to choose a machine with small balls or absolutely no balls.
• To make spinning the hoop more fun, turn on upbeat and rhythmic music.

Exercises

To make exercise a habit, quickly get used to a new exercise machine and improve your figure in a short time, perform these exercises with a weight loss hoop.

Swings and bends (all exercises are done in a standing position, feet shoulder-width apart):

• Holding the hula hoop in front of you in straight arms, move your body in different directions. At the extreme point of the turn, do not look straight ahead, but in the direction of the turn - this increases the twist.
• Raising the hoop above your head, bend in turn in different directions. Align the slopes by connecting all the points with a smooth line. When turning your body back, bend as far as possible.

When rotating the hoop around your waist:

• When rotating, place your arms at your sides and try to hold them in this position for at least 5 minutes. At this time, preferably without using your hands or dropping the hoop, lower it onto your hips and return it back. This exercise is designed for the buttocks.
• Extend one leg with a slight bend and engage your hips. Change the legs and direction of rotation of the hoop.
• Clasp your palms above your head and stretch, trying not to drop the hoop. In this position, try rotating the hula hoop in different directions for at least a minute.

For legs and arms:

• Put one hand to the side and rotate the hoop on it. Replace your hand. A light hula hoop weighing up to 1 kg is best suited for the exercise.
• Place your hands forward, stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Twist the halahoop between your elbow and wrist, alternately removing one hand and then the other. This way you can pump up your arms and use your abdominal and chest muscles.
• Lie on the floor, put one leg up at a right angle. Rotate the hoop on it, replacing legs every half a minute.
• Rotate the hoop on your leg at the ankle, pointing it forward, then to the side. Replace legs.

The benefits of training with a hoop

Women often complain that they have a fat belly and voluminous sides. Judging by the photos and reviews of waist hoops with balls, this sports equipment can solve this problem. Hula hoop improves blood circulation in the waist area and has a positive effect on the muscular corset of the back. The appearance of cellulite is reduced, because the hoop gradually breaks the so-called orange peel.

Hula hoop exercises improve lymph circulation, which reduces swelling, especially in the lower body. During exercise, a massage effect is created; the muscles slowly warm up, which reduces the likelihood of injury. Posture improves, which visually makes a woman even slimmer. During exercise, waste and toxins are removed from the body along with sweat. Thanks to massage and gradual weight loss, a woman feels better, which has a beneficial effect on her quality of life.

Contraindications

Despite the many advantages, hula hoop classes are not suitable for everyone. For example, during pregnancy you should never use a waist hoop with balls. A recent cesarean section or postpartum complications are also a contraindication to classes. It is not advisable to start training during menstruation.

Hula hoop exercises are not suitable for people with chronic illnesses. It is not advisable for elderly people to spin the hoop. Another contraindication is wounds and abrasions on the skin in the waist area. People with back injuries should not hula hoop. Hoop training is contraindicated for women with gastrointestinal diseases.

How to spin a hoop correctly?

Now let's figure out how to twist the hoop correctly - for effective weight loss and getting rid of extra centimeters from the abdomen and sides. Below we will tell you how much you need to twist it, as well as how often you need to carry out such training.

How to twist correctly

Note! During the first 1-2 weeks of working with a hoop, bruises may remain - while the body and skin get used to its effects. Therefore, at this time you should not use it on your naked body. Spin the hula hoop over thick clothing covering your belly. This will help avoid bruising.

• Correct technique. Before working with the hoop, take the correct stable position with your feet shoulder-width apart. The toes are slightly turned outward. Take the hoop in your hands and spin it clockwise. Keep it suspended by moving your core (mostly your hips). Throughout the entire workout, the stomach should be tucked and the abdominal muscles should be tense. The body does not dangle, but is also in tension - like a string.

• Duration . The first few days you need to spin the hoop for only 5 minutes - this way you will get used to this load. Then you can increase the time to 10, and then 15 minutes. If you immediately start with a longer time, you risk getting bruises on your stomach (and as a result, you will have to wait until the next workout for them to pass!).

Hoop with a calorie counter
If there is no discomfort or pain, then you can gradually increase the time you work with the hoop - up to 30 minutes maximum. The average duration of a hoop workout is 15-20 minutes (this is the most optimal time).

• Training frequency. It is advisable to spin the hoop every day - at least a little. It is better to train more often, but for less time, than to train for too long at a time. If you spin the hula hoop for 20 minutes every day, you will notice results within a week! Moreover, this activity can be combined with watching your favorite films, TV series and even reading books.

• Food before and after training . It is worth refusing to eat 1 hour both before and after working with a hula hoop. In the first case, due to the fact that you can simply disrupt the digestion process. And in the second case, because the body will continue to lose weight even at rest. And if you immediately go to eat, you will interrupt this process.

Additional activities during training
Interesting: Sports nutrition for beginners

Here are all the nuances of how to choose and use a hoop correctly on the way to an ideal body. With its help you can achieve a stunning, chiseled waist! It’s not for nothing that this simple sports equipment has won so many fans around the world - the effectiveness of the hoop for weight loss is based on multiple reviews of those who have lost weight.

Have you tried hoop training?

Reviews

Photos of hoops with waist balls attract the attention of women. This is due to the fact that many have heard positive reviews about these shells. First of all, those who are losing weight are attracted by the fact that training is interesting and relaxed. Usually after 2 weeks the waist becomes more pronounced and slimmer.

Women say that you shouldn’t immediately start training with a heavy hoop, it’s better to start with a light one. You should not immediately start with heavy loads; at first, training for 5-10 minutes is enough. It’s very convenient that you can exercise at home, you don’t need to go to a sports club. Women with young children especially like this. Another advantage of the hoop is that weight loss occurs smoothly, which means without stress on the body.