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 1" 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.

The art of building a hoop truly depends on the country you live in. Feel free to leave a message for me at the bottom of this page. I will try to answer any questions you may have.

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 mid belly button to two inches above your belly button. This rule is not true for children. Children will often times prefer a larger hoop than this ratio suggests. 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, but preferably pipe cutters) 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. In my opinion, hair dryers are much more safe.

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.

If you are still struggling with how to make your own weighted hula hoop, feel free to visit my personal website where I have a very detailed explanation with photos to help you. Visit How to make Weighted Hula Hoops

I have been making hula hoops for the past 8 years. I have a design that works well and stands the test of time. I stand behind my product and consider it an art. My facebook page displays many different photos of hoops I have custom created. My hula hoops are available in Play It Again Sports in Red Deer, Alberta.

I make both exercise hula hoops and weighted hula hoops. They are designed in the infinity style so they collapse easily and are therefore portable.

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 seven years and love it. We have only met one person that we could not teach how to hula hoop and pride ourselves on it. It's easy to learn and fun to do.... Happy trails.