How I Stay Fit: Hula Hoop
Categories: Happiness, Fitness, How I Stay Fit
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Sadie Yancey, 26, used to be a rower but that was before she reinvented herself as Sadie Spins, a professional hulahooper whose athletic specialty is twirling a hoop of fire around her whirling, bikini-clad body. For the last several years, she has been teaching and performing hula hoop for circus cabarets, corporate events and bachelor parties. Yancey is convinced hooping is set to become the new yoga.
The Toronto-based hoop diva talks about her favourite pastime, how she's never been fitter and what it takes to get started.
Goals
My workout goal is to enjoy it. Personally I know that if I drive for a certain caloric level, I'll quickly lose interest.
Why hooping?
What I like about hooping is that you can work out really hard in a fitness class or be on a dock at your cottage relaxing. There's so many ways you can get your body to move and lots of tricks you can learn. Ultimately you want to dance with it. We want to have the hoop be like our dance partner who doesn't have garlic breath and is always there.
Health BenefitsThere are people who have lost a lot of weight with hooping because it's the first time they've really enjoyed working out. It's similar to dancing where if you push yourself you can burn 500 calories an hour. It's great for toning your abs and your core. If you hoop on your arms and legs you can tone that as well.I feel that the hoop is best for relieving stress. You feel immediately better.
Workout routine
The key to my morning workout routine is I get out of bed, I pee and then I do my sun salutations (yoga), sit ups and a couple physiotherapy exercises. I don't do anything else in between otherwise I won't work out. I don't question exercise; it's just something I have to do. At work (as a researcher), I will take a break at lunch to hula hoop for 20 minutes or half an hour. In the evening, I'll have my intensive hooping sessions that are an hour long. I stretch at night....
There's been times in my life where I would go to the gym four days a week and push myself to work really hard for an hour and a half, but personally I'm happier if I can incorporate little movements throughout the day. So when I'm at the computer, I take a break every hour to stretch.
Equipment
I make my own hula hoops but they're also sold in every major Canadian city. The key to having a hula hoop is that they're different from the toy store ones. They're heavier, larger and they move slower so they're easier for adult bodies to use.
Facilities
Fort hose people unhappy with gym environments, the hoop is something you take somewhere you feel comfortable whether it's in your living room or in parks where you can go to free jam sessions. There's also online communities and lots of videos you could buy. Many people benefit from classes because it gives them those first couple of tricks. The instructor will be able to tweak your posture to make sure you're doing it most efficiently.
Hazards
You could hurt your back if you use too small a hoop. Occasionally, if you're doing throwing, tossing and fast tricks you'll hit yourself in the face. I only hit myself in the face when I get really cocky and full of myself.
Challenges
Putting it down.
Fashion
It's really about wearing something you feel sexy in. For some people, that's a tiny camouflage bikini and for others that's layers and layers of flowing fabric. Hula hoopers like to have their upper arms and their thighs exposed because it's easier to hoop on skin.
Playlist
Most of the stuff I listen to for hooping is world electronic fusion. I also love hooping to Shakira.
Lifestyle
Many hoopers enjoy raw diets. I eat cookies, beer and beef.
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