Have you tried hula hooping? You have a chance to give it a shot this Sunday, September 6, at the Hoop Circle, where others will also gather to try their hand at it. Who knows? The hidden hooper in you might emerge. You may lose a few inches or grams. And you may just have a sexy waist to show for it!
The Rangoli Metro Art Centre on M.G. Road Boulevard, now a hub of interesting weekend activities, hosts a Hoop Circle along with Fundamentals (a training academy) on the first Sunday of every month.
“We have hosted about nine such Hoop Circles till now. We have had 20 people on some Sundays and on good Sundays even up to 80!” says Gunjan Saraf, who’s been hosting the Hoop Circle and encouraging people to take hooping seriously.
Gunjan, who’s been hooping for the last four years, says, “There is unfortunately a misconception in India that hooping is only for kids. In the 1960s it was introduced as a toy. But by the 1980s hooping had grown into a performance art and exercise for adults too in the West. But in India, somehow, it still hasn’t caught up.” Of course when America’s First Lady Michelle Obama recently showed some of her hooping moves, it attracted world attention.
Getting the right size of hoop is crucial, says Gunjan. It is the prime reason why most adults try their hand at hooping and fail in India. “In India, the biggest available size is a 36-inch diameter, which is actually the smallest size most adults can manage!”
Gunjan works with hoops up to 45 inches. “Once you learn and get the rhythm, you can gradually move to smaller hoops.” He believes that hula hooping can be picked up in one session — about five people in 10 usually do. The others need another two or three sessions, says Gunjan.
The whole idea of creating the Hoop Circle is to create awareness about hooping (see box on its benefits as an exercise). “I wish people would come regularly, and we could build a community of hoopers in Bengaluru. In the West and in Europe, almost every city has a hooping club or a hooping circle. I wish it would grow in India,” says Gunjan.
There is no registration, no fee required for the Hoop Circle. It will be held on September 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. If you have your own hoops take them along. Some hoops will be available at the venue for you to use.
The full circle
* Ideal size: a hoop when placed vertically on the ground should come up to your belly button or higher.
* It can be done around neck, chest, hips, thighs, knees
* It has branched out from being a hobby into exercise, tricks, dance, and acrobatics
* Hooping parties can be great fun
* Muscles that hula hooping tones: glutes, thighs, hips, butt, legs, knees and abdomen.
* Twirl a hula hoop with your arms to tone your shoulders and forearms.
* Hooping is a cardio workout too. Improves core strength.
* Is a low-impact, high-energy workout that can burn approximately 200 calories in 30 minutes.
Information courtesy: gunjansaraf.com
