A workout that’s as easy as child’s play, using a hula hoop for just 5 minutes a day can seriously improve your cardio quota.

And if your gym has jumped on the hula-hooping bandwagon and is offering classes, you can look forward to building strength and flexibility, all while having more fun that you’d ever have on a treadmill.

The promise Hula-hooping’s hip-swivelling action targets your core muscles, tones
your tummy, and gets your circulation pumping.

The workout Work up to a 30 minute daily session, in increments of five minutes a week.
(If you have back problems, though, check with your doctor first.)

To find out more Pick up a regular hoop from your local sporting goods retailer. You can also buy weighted hula hoops from specialty suppliers, which ramp up the workout and speed weight loss. And if you get well and truly hooked, who better to hang out with than another hoopaholic?Visit www.hoopaholic.org to learn the finer points of hooping, in class or via video.

Lets summarise what you get (besides fun)
Hula Hoop is one of the few fitness classes that primarily targets your middle. With circular trunk movements, it directly works abdominal muscles, hips and waistlines. As a result, class participants gain both a cardio and strength workout. In fact, one minute of Hula Hooping burns as many calories as running an eight-minute mile or high impact aerobic class, according to the Cooper Institute, a health-based, nonprofit research and education center. In addition, Hula Hooping promotes correct body alignment from the circular motions and proper posture in the upper body routines.

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