How to Use a Weighted Hula Hoop

Scroll through social media and you will catch splashy videos of people of all ages trying hula hooping. This is especially true with TikTok, which fills users' feeds with people hula hooping at the beach, in driveways, and in their home gyms.

Should you feel inspired to try hula hooping, you can burn calories and gain extra health benefits by adding a weighted hula hoop to your fitness regimen. Plus, you do not need a lot of coordination or fancy dance skills—simply a desire to work out your core will do. Here is what you need to know.

Why Would You Use a Weighted Hula Hoop? 

Using a weight hula hoop can target and build important core muscles, allowing you to perform daily activities with fewer chances of injury. Plus, you get to have fun, feeling like a child again as you contort your waist and laugh as the hula hoop falls.

According to John Gardner, NASM-CPT, CEO and Co-Founder of Kickoff, a remote personal training program, weighted hula hooping also focuses on lower body muscles, including the hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, and glutes. You work the upper body muscles as well when you lift the weighted hula hoop—giving you an all over body workout.

Benefits of a Weighted Hula Hoop 

A weighted hula hoop can offer a number of health benefits and make you feel like a kid again. Here are a few potential benefits you might experience if you decide to use a hula hoop.

Burns Calories 

Hula hooping can burn an average of 210 calories during a 30-minute hooping workout, according to a sponsored research study from the American Council on Exercise. Researchers found that hooping is comparable in calories burned to bootcamp-style classes, kickboxing, and step aerobics.

In addition, the average heart rate of hula hooping study participants was 151 beats per minute, equal to 84% of the age-predicted heart rate maximum. This can result in improved cardiovascular health and muscle conditioning.

Helps With Muscle Mass Gains

A study from Obesity Facts found that hula hooping increased trunk muscle mass and decreased waist circumference more than walking. Participants in this study hula hooped an average of 12.8 minutes per day and walked almost 10,000 steps per day.

The results showed more benefits to the core with hula hooping. The percentage of body fat in the core region decreased significantly with hula hooping when compared to walking.

Reduces LDL Cholesterol

In this same study from Obesity Facts, researchers found that hula hooping can reduce LDL cholesterol more than walking can. The results demonstrated an LDL-lowering effect similar to what resistance training does for your cholesterol level. For anyone with elevated cholesterol levels, hula hooping for 13 minutes per day could prove beneficial.

Provides a Fun Workout 

Gardener says that weight hula hooping can get you out of a workout rut. He also recommends weighted hula hooping as either a warmup or a full workout.

“If you're getting bored of your workout routine and are looking for something new, exciting, and fun to switch up your workout, then hula hooping will be a great way to get away from the boring and repetitive gym workouts," he says.

Allows for Multitasking Opportunities

If your time to workout is limited, Gardener says that if you need to, you can multitask when using a weighted hula hoop.

“The advantage of weighted hula hoop exercises is that you can easily add it to your exercise routine and can get moving while you are speaking on the phone, during your work breaks, or even watching a movie," he says.

How to Choose a Weighted Hula Hoop 

Choosing a weighted hula hoop does require a little education. Plus, hula hoops weigh between 1 to 8 pounds according to health coach Hannah Daugherty, NASM-CPT, ACE-CPT. Certain weight hoops fit snuggly on the waist and others look similar to a regular hula hoop, even though they are composed of a weighted foam material.

Daugherty recommends taking a mindset of “less is more.” Using a heavier hoop when you are not ready can negatively affect your form. Consequently, you should work up to an 8 pound hoop.

When looking for a hula hoop, Emily Higgins, BSc, CPT, CNC, owner of Girl Let’s Glow, suggests looking at the traditional weighted hula hoop in which the weight is distributed inside the hoop and smart hoops that come with weight rotating around the outside. The traditional style she says is generally less expensive and forces “more core engagement and stability because it is not fixed tightly around your waist."

Daugherty says that the size of the hoop can range from 35 to 43 inches, and when standing next to the hoop (when one side of the hoop is on the floor and the other is up near your side), “you want it to reach your waist area.”

A Word from Verywell

Weighted hula hooping is an inexpensive and fun way to burn calories, lower your cholesterol, and build muscle mass all while feeling like a kid again. If you are new to exercise, you should speak with a healthcare provider before starting a new workout regimen. They can assess your current fitness level and medical history and let you know what is right for you.