WELLNESS
LOW BACK PAIN?
PILATES REFORMER EXERCISES MAY HELP
Pilates Reformer Classes
All kinds of exercises are done on the reformer to promote length, strength, flexibility, and balance.
Most Pilates reformer exercises have to do with pushing or pulling the carriage or holding the carriage steady during an exercise as it is pulled on by the springs. Group Reformer Classes average can $20-$30 or lower per class.
Here's a popular national chain that teaches beginner Pilates Reformer Exercises:
Club Pilates -- https://www.clubpilates.com/classes/
Hula Hoop Your Way to Fitness,
While Having Fun!
You may remember those fun childhood days hula hooping after school, Saturdays and during school vacations with your besties.
But then something called adulthood called you to more pressing issues: college, trade school, the military, earning a living, growing a career, raising a family and all of the day-to-day details that comprise your life.
It's been a bunch of years since you've spun a hula hoop around you waist. Well, the drought is now over. Hula Hooping is now enjoyed by men, women and children from young to old.
Today's hooping takes it to new health levels. You can incorporate yoga, pilates, boxing, dance, ballet, while burning 400 to 600 calories per hour.
Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Marisa Tomei and Kellly Osbourne hula hoop. Why? Because it's fun, tones, build endurance, burns calories, reduces stress and the list goes on...
Selecting Your Hoop
Stay away from children's hula hoops. Don't think about dusting off yesterday's hoop? Pass it on to a child.
A child's hoop simply won't work for for your adult body. It's too light. So, resist buying the hoops for $1.99 on sale at Walmart or Target. They won't stay up.
Shop online via Ebay, Amazon, etc. for your beginner adult dance or fitness. However, TJ Max and Dick's sell the weighted fitness hoops.
You want a heavier hoop found in adult hoops, because the rotation around the waist is slower.
Travel Hoops
Today's hoops travel with you to the park or to Fiji. You can select a collapsible hoop several ways.
a. Collapses as a figure 8
b. Push Button
c. Snaps apart in several sections (like the Hoopnotica Hoops)
Beginner Hoops-- 37"-42" 1-2 lbs (Fitness Hoops up to 3 lbs)
A smaller, lighter child like hoop tends to spin so quickly adults have a hard time learning waist hooping.
But you’ll also want to go a bit lighter and smaller as you improve, so you can increase your heart rate and burn more calories.
Heavier Hoops...Longer Rotations
Heavier hula hoops allow you to hoop for longer periods of time, increasing energy, fitness and weight loss.
You can also use a 3 lb weighted hula hoop for resistance training to tone your hips and thighs, sculpt lean arms and shoulders and create amazing core strength!
You will also build your core with lighter hoops.
As a hoop dance teacher for the past several years, I prefer my students to select hoops between 1 to 1 1/2 pound hoops, since they perform both waist hooping and learn off-body tricks.
1. For beginners, a fair rule of thumb is to measure from the ground to about an inch or two above your belly button (the bigger the hoop, the slower the rotation).
2. For more experienced hula hoopers, or for those that could hoop as a kid, measure to belly button or slightly above.
3. Very experienced hoopers typically go no more than an inch below the belly button.
4. Bigger waist? Add an inch or two.
5. Hoop dancers will benefit from a bit more room in their hoop (more room to perform tricks without knocking yourself in the head!) than is necessary for exercise hooping around the waist.
The smaller the hoop, the faster the rotation and the more you’ll tighten your core.
Can I lose weight by hula hooping?
No doubt about it! A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that hooping ranks right up there with boot camp!
But it’s gentler and more effective for reducing belly fat. Hooping compares favorably to most group classes in terms of heart rate and caloric burn.
Exercisers can expect similar results from hooping as they’d get from boot-camp classes, step aerobics and cardio kickboxing—all of which meet fitness industry criteria for improving cardiovascular fitness.
Let's Talk Tubing
PSI rating, which stands for Pounds per Square Inch, is generally in the range of 100 - 160 for most hoops.
PSI is used to determine the overall weight and feel of the hoop, but is an actual measurement of water pressure.
The higher the PSI, the thicker the wall of the tubing and the heavier the hoop.
Types of tubing
1" 160 PSI - PE (Polyethylene)
Best for the hooper that is new to hooping, has a larger frame or is looking for a heavy weight exercise hoop specifically for loosing weight.
This tubing can be quite "heavy" for a hoop, which makes it perfect for the person that is looking for a weight loss hula hoop, and it will limit you on learning "hooping tricks."
3/4" 160 PSI - PE (Polyethylene)
Hands down best for beginners before transitioning to "performance" style hoops - Polypro & HDPE.
The added few ounces mean worlds to the control and regulated speed offered by this tubing in comparison to performance hoops.
Black in color, and a only slightly flexible, this tubing coils easily and is a great stepping stone before getting into the lighter 3/4" Polypro tubing.
3/4" 100 PSI - PE (Polyethylene)
This tubing is best for someone that is either already familiar with waist hooping or that falls into the category of small-medium waist, 5'5" or smaller and under 140 pounds.
A great beginner hoop for a smaller person, a super fun hoop to use both for waist hooping and learning basic hoop dance tricks.
3/4" PP (Polypro)
Best polypro size for beginners, who are looking to start learning more hooping tricks and graduate from just hooping on their waist.
This has been the most popular size and type of tubing for the past 3-4 years.
5/8" PP (Polypro)
Light-weight, responsive, highly flexible and best for more advanced hoopers or people with a smaller frame.
Fabulous for quick finger-tricks, doubles, minis, and a feather-light experience.
1/2" PP (Polypro)
Lightning fast, feather light, and ultra thin. No more than 30" OD, or else you may have a crazy noodle hoop.
3/4" HDPE
Known as High Density Polyethylene. Loved by beginners, and even craved by professionals.
A bit more of a 'spring' to HDPEs responsiveness than Polypro, HDPE also offers a bit more weight for added control and decreased speed of tricks.
7/8" HDPE
A beginners hybrid! A definite recommendation when you prefer a bit of weight and thickness to your tubing and flow.
A lovely tubing size for those that desire a chunkier grip, heavier hoop, and slower flow all around.
Happy Hooping!