KEY POINTS:
I am, if forced to be honest, not one of life's natural athletes. But if I had a golden age of athletic ability it was probably somewhere between the ages of 6 and 10. Monkey bars, handstands, hula hoops ... I was mistress of them all.
It's rather sobering to realise how difficult those once easy tricks are to repeat as an adult.
I mean, have you tried doing a handstand lately? I'm sure the Earth's gravitational field (or, sadly, perhaps my own) is stronger than it used to be.
Anyway, in an attempt to recapture my glory days, I eagerly signed up for the Hoopla! two-hour beginners hula hooping workshop at Pilates Mind and Body studio in Newmarket and was once again reminded of my own shortcomings as a coordinated human adult.
But the key difference with hula hooping, and the reason I will go back for more, is that it was fun. A lot of fun. As much fun as when I could do it as a child.
Sure, there were hoops flying wildly through the air at times, but really, that all just adds a frisson of tension and excitement.
By the end of the beginners' workshop I could keep one - sometimes even two -hoops spinning reasonably steadily around my waist, but more than that, I could spin it on my hands, up and down my arms, above my head _ and even round my neck. And there was even a particularly thrilling moment when I managed to move it from spinning in my hand above my head, down to my waist without stopping - or tangling myself in a small knot as had happened several times before.
Studio director and Hoopla! instructor Michelle Keenan struck upon the idea when looking for something 'a little more cardio' for her pilates clients, and saw a child playing with a hula hoop.
She was soon winging her way to Sydney for training and began running the beginner's workshops soon after.
Hooping is great compliment to pilates as it, too, relies on a strong core, but it will also get your heart pumping. As well as toning your abdominals, keeping those hoops constantly spinning will also work your arms, legs and even your butt.
Plus, the coordination required and the fact that, to begin with, you're learning something new, means you're forced to engaged that most difficult of muscles - the brain. That makes it perfect for people, like me, who get very bored with repetitive forms of exercise almost instantly, and hate exercise done just for the sake of it.
With hooping you're constantly engaged, and, while you might get frustrated when you can't do something straight away, you also get the satisfaction of finally conquering it - which you will.
Before you know it, you'll be pulling your hoop out at parties and impressing all your friends - just like when you were a kid.
- Detours, HoS
