Weighted Hula Hoops

First things first... We need a demonstration. Here you will see the two many purposes for using weighted hula hoops. The first video is someone using them in a strict exercise type way and in the second video you will see someone using a hula hoop to dance with music.

The point of hooping is to relax and have fun... to express yourself!!

There is no "right or wrong" way to use your hoop. As long as you are moving, you are exercising, burning calories and toning your core.

If you want to make your own hula hoop at home, it is very possible. The only things you are going to need are piping/tubing and insert connectors found at a local hardware store and some nice coloured tape to decorate your hula hoop. I always was able to find tape at sports stores... People use various colours for hockey sticks. Also, you can use electrical tape. The hockey tape is matte and the electrical tape has more of a gloss and seems to repel the dirt better. Another point worth mentioning is to find something to cut through the tubing... Oh, and a hair dryer or a bucket of hot water (Seriously).

At the hardware store purchase 160 psi 3/4" diameter piping. You want tubing that plumbers use. I simply asked a gentleman that worked at the store if he could help me find it. He had a confused look on his face and I don't think he believed me when I told him what I was doing, but he found it for me. =) You want the connectors that are matched to this same size tubing.

Hula hoops come in a very wide range of sizes. I have made some very tiny for children and I have made some giant hoops to have fun with. Typically, I find a hoop fits a person most comfortably when it is in between your armpits and your mouth when you are holding the hoop on the ground up. It is easy to cut length off of a hoop, so feel free to go bigger and downsize if necessary.

But a warning... Smaller does not mean easier. Smaller hoops have to rotate faster so are actually more difficult to control. Trust me when I say to err on the side of too much length.

Once you have decided on the necessary length and have cut the tubing (and the tubing is very thick so use a hacksaw or a sort of cutting pliers) it is time to melt the tubing a bit. You want to make it malleable so it is easy to insert the connectors. I have used both a hairdryer and pail of hot water to do this. I prefer the hot water method because, quite frankly, I never use a hairdryer and have a hard time finding the one in the house. I get water to boiling temperature and then put the tubing in and quickly add the insert.

Voila! You have one undressed hoop!! Give it a few test twirls to make sure it is the length you want. If it is, then it is decorating time. You can play around and come up with many different patterns. I prefer chunks of solid colours of mine, but the majority seem to prefer a more random mix of colours. This is my favourite part of the creating process and involves some TLC. Take your time!! This will take patience on your behalf. =D

It is a great idea to tape the ends of the tubing together to reinforce the bond. It should be done prior to decorating.

I have purchased hula hoops online in the past and had great success with the quality. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy the ones that were "portable" and came in five separate pieces. It was too small and very awkward to use.

But feel free to explore what is out there. There are some wonderful people creating some wonderful weighted hula hoops.

As you can see, there is a very wide variety of ways to use hula hoops. This hobby is shared by a wide variety of people and if you live in a city of more than 75,000, chances are you may even be lucky enough to experience a live demonstration or class.

My husband and I have been hooping together for the past five years and love it. We have yet to meet a person we could not teach to hula hoop and pride ourselves on it. It's easy to learn and fun to do.... Happy trails.