I swung my hips every day for a month with this result| Glamour UK

Hula hoop fitness: We tested the fitness trend and were surprised by the results.

When I think of a hula hoop, I immediately have lots of funny moments in my head - from when I was ten years old. It's been a long time since I've had one in my hand, let alone circled one around my hips. But recently, whether on Instagram, YouTube or other digital platforms, I keep running into people my age who have discovered hula hoop fitness for themselves and swear by it. So it was about time that I finally tried it myself: So I bought a hula hoop, watched all the "Hula Hoop Fitness for Beginners" video and started training.

Fitness with the Hula Hoop: Here's what I expect from my test

From my one-month hula hoop fitness test, I expect on the one hand a better body feeling and more stability, which will hopefully benefit me in other sports, such as swimming, for example. But more importantly, I want to find out if training with the hula hoop could be something that can be integrated into everyday life in a sustainable way. In my imagination, I'm standing on the balcony swinging the hoop in the morning while enjoying the first rays of sunshine, or I'm doing my workout in the evening after work while looking for the new season of my favourite series. In other words, I hope to find a workout for which I have no more excuses.

How can you learn to hula hoop?

The bitter realisation right at the beginning: I am an absolute beginner. So my first goal, before I start a real fitness program, is to learn how to hula hoop. But what is the best way to do that?

Learning to hula hoop for beginners seems to be a popular video topic on YouTube, luckily for me, so I watch all the content that explains which hoop is best to use as a beginner and which direction to move the hips to keep the hoop up. Here we most important facts at a glance that are essential to learn hula hoop:

Choosing the right hoop: A beginner hoop is best between 1.2 and 1.5 kilograms. It should not be too light, then it is easier. If you are sensitive to pain, you should not choose a hula hoop with massage nubs at the beginning. However, these are beneficial to build muscle. Also, it is important to consider the body size for the hoop size: The length from the floor to the belly button is approximately the diameter of the hoop.

The right stance: The starting position is the be-all and end-all for a fluent hula hoop workout. When trying hula hoop fitness for the first time, it is important to find the right stance for you. For some, placing their legs parallel and hip-width apart works better; for some, placing one foot forward works better.

Don't get discouraged: Even if the first attempts don't work at all, keep at it. First successes come faster than you think - I am the best proof for it (but more about that in a moment).

What are the advantages of hula hoop fitness?

I have already mentioned above what I personally hope to gain from my exercise experiment. But of course, there are other benefits to hula hoop fitness, which is why it's so popular with the masses. Contrary to what you might think, it's an effective full-body workout that can do much more than just burn calories. For one, it mobilises the spine, which helps prevent back pain, and it also works the abdominal and back muscles, as well as the core. And that's exactly what's super important to me, because my goal is to optimise my posture and especially to train my lower back, since I am often plagued by back pain.

But hula hoop fitness also makes you sweat, because it gets your cardiovascular system going. So if you're hoping for a relaxed workout, you're wrong. Conversely, you also burn a lot of calories. One of the reasons for this is that the abdominal muscles are constantly at work during the hula hoop.

But the biggest advantage is probably that the workout is a lot of fun. And when something is fun, you stick with it - at least in theory. I wonder if that was the case for me.

Hula hoop fitness every day for a month: this is what it was really like

When I swing the hoop for the first time, it doesn't work at all, and you couldn't really call it a hula hoop workout. After ten minutes that was it, and I didn't feel like it anymore. The next day after work, I grabbed the tire again, and lo and behold - it worked. Rarely have I seen success so quickly, and the ten minutes turned into 15. On day three, I already have to do it in the morning because I have a date in the evening, and after 20 minutes of hula hoop fitness, including listening to a podcast, I no longer feel like a beginner.

Even the next few days, I really do always find between 20 and 40 minutes for my workout, and each time it's even more fun. I actively look around for workouts with hula hoops on the internet to bring variety into the routine. But sometimes I just feel like turning on the TV and doing it while I do it. Rarely has it been so easy for me to incorporate fitness into my daily routine.

After a week, though, I had to take a day off. Bruises have formed around the hips and the abdominal soreness is also enormous - but all normal at the beginning of hula hoop fitness.

These are the 5 best hula hoop exercises

In fact, the sports equipment is versatile, and there are different ways in which it can be used. These are my five favourites:

1. hula hoop exercise: torso rotation.

Grab the hoop with both arms in the middle at the outermost points and raise your arms vertically to shoulder height. Now move from the centre to the right and then to the left. Always keep the torso tense. A great exercise to additionally strengthen the body's core.

2nd Hula Hoop Exercise: Steps

If you are confident enough, you can also do steps forward and backward with my hula hoop. Here's how: swing the hoop as usual. Once you're confident, keep taking three steps forward and back again for about a minute. And of course, keep circling the hoop.

3. hula hoop exercise: arms circling

With this exercise you train additionally the coordination (and also the arms). During the hula hoop fitness session, stretch your arms out to the side and let them circle. This can take some practice - but it's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.

4th Hula Hoop Exercise: Jumping Squats

Place the hula hoop on the floor and behind it. Now jump into the hoop with a jump, do squats and jump out the back again. Very effective if you also want to integrate a short leg workout into the workout.

5. hula hoop exercise: dips

The hoop is still on the floor. Lie behind the hoop and lift your legs bent so that the soles of your feet hover above the circle. Now alternately lower one foot and briefly tap the floor. The perfect abdominal exercise for those who want to step it up a notch.

Hula hoop fitness is really that effective

After three weeks, I already notice how I walk straighter and my posture has improved. My core feels firmer and more stable. The workout also seems to be effective against lower back pain, at least I haven't had any discomfort since I started my test. On average, I swing my hips for about 20 to 30 minutes a day.

To really break a sweat and burn calories, you should do a holistic workout that combines hula hooping with other exercises (like the ones mentioned above). All in all, I find hula hoop fitness totally effective because it's perfect for a stressful workday, doesn't really feel like exercise, and in any case, you always feel like you've done something anyway. Win-win, in my opinion. So I will definitely continue to do it. Best investment in an athletic activity I've ever made. As often as I do hula hoop fitness now, I've never been to a gym - and that's saying something.

For more on Beauty Editor Melanie Paukner, check out her Instagram account @melaniepaukner

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