I was intrigued to read recently that Hollywood actress Liv Tyler owes her amazing post-divorce figure to hula-hooping! ‘I put my favourite song on and stand outside and hula hoop in every weird direction until the song’s over and I’m all out of breath. It’s really fun,’ she says. Fun? I don’t care if it’s fun, as long as it gives me a toned stomach and curvy hips just like Ms Tyler herself. Luckily for me, a new hula-hooping class has just launched in London, with plans to go nationwide over the next few months.
Now, the last time I picked up a hula-hoop, I was missing two front teeth and had no idea what my core muscles were. And I was never particularly gifted at hula-hooping as a child, so I was feeling a little nervous when I went along to my two-hour class. However, I needn’t have worried. For a start, the hoops we were using were special adult sized hoops, which makes things a lot easier. Second, as soon as the class started, I realised this was going to be a serious workout that was serious fun too.
It didn’t take long to work up a sweat – hooping burns as many calories in 10 minutes as running a 10-minute mile – and I could feel my abdominal muscles creaking with the effort to keep the hoop circling my waist. But I did manage to keep it circling after many tried and failed attempts. Yay me! I haven’t grinned so much since junior school [see picture above for proof!]. We soon added a few tricks including spins, taking the hoop off the body, spinning the hoops round in our hands and bringing it back down onto our waists.
A few people in my class were born naturals, while I will probably need a few more lessons to look truly at ease with a hoop. But I would definitely go back for another lesson. If hula-hooping can put a smile on my face and give me rock hard abs, where do I sign up?!
• To sign up for two-hour hula-hooping taster sessions, a six-week course or a hooping hen party, visit www.polestars.net
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