So excited by the ‘Hula’ part of the ‘HulaFit‘ class
we were attending, I really didn’t anticipate a fitness class – which may have prevented the
two glasses of ‘warm up’ wine we had beforehand. Doing burpees and jumping in and out of hoops was made that much trickier, but then a 45 minute session of hula alone may have been harder.
A Hula Hoop is a children’s toy from the 50s that’s made a come-back in recent years in the eternal quest of ‘gimmick exercise options’ to meet the burning need of (mostly hipsters to begin with) curious folk. If, like me, you haven’t tried a hula hoop since primary school, you may be in for a surprise at what it takes to get one of these suckers going. As such, the ‘adult’ hula is wider to er, fit a wider girth, and are weighted to help out with the momentum of the ring. Brilliant. This also helps out in leaving your torso bruised and tender. Less brilliant.
It began with a warm up and gradually getting into a rhythmic cycle with the hoop – which I found easier with feet shoulder-width but one ahead of the other to ease into a rocking motion. Despite what you’d imagine, it’s actually a forward-backward movement you’re going for here.
Once we’d mastered that is was to change direction, then keep your legs together which takes some practice. Here we broke away for some fitness including press-ups and burpees, before return back to some hoop action with some bolder moves like spinning around and jumping forward. Watch us in action;
Bruising aside, it was quite a fun hobby and ended up being quite a work-out, so if you’re the type of person who gets bored with routine, the ‘fit’ part of it makes it a fun switch out for your normal exercise class. Here are some further health benefits of trying your hand at Hula.
We attended the HulaFit class in King’s Cross on a Wednesday at £6 per person. For others by the same team around East and South London have a look over here, ranging from £6-8. Other options (untried):
- EastLondonDance – £8 drop in on a Monday, London E15
- Rooftop Hula @ the Berkley – for a fancier affair, £65 for a class, pool-side lunch plus you get to take the hoop home to carry on the fun, Knightsbridge on a Wednesday 12-1pm.
- Anna the Hulagan – £6 drop in at Kings Cross, or try a private session for £35.
- Hoolabop – Twickenham, Monday at 8pm, £10 for a drop in.
The Pursuit of Hobbyness 