Do you get bored easily when you work out? I do. I love to run, but well, I don’t love to run. I get bored after a while. Zumba is a favorite of mine, but I know I need to keep shaking up my routine and adding new things to challenge my body in different ways. Studies have proven that doing only cardio means less weight loss over a length of time, and our bodies learn to adjust to what we do repeatedly, so the key to shaping our bodies and burning calories is to continue to move in different ways.
Enter the FXP Hula Hoop set!
To be clear, I am not a hula-hooper. I am not one of those people in supreme control of their hips, but as I get older, I realize that I need to try extra harder to stay limber. Maintaining my flexibility takes more effort but is more important so that I don’t get up stiff in the morning or get sore if I sit in my desk chair too long at work. When I was written about trying the FP Hula Hoop in order to write a review about it, I agreed immediately. Thank you, FXP Hula Hoop, for the complimentary set of hula hoop and DVD!
Then my mind went WHAT DID I JUST AGREE TO?? I’m the one frequently covered in bruises on my thighs and upper arms from running into things. I’ve broken my cheek bone with a shovel, and am currently sporting a nasty bruise on my face from an air hockey puck. I zumba for fun, not because it’s pretty to watch and I prefer to slow dance because the dancing gene missed me. Big time. The idea of successfully using a hula hoop scared me. Too late now.
The first thing I did, before even assembling the FXP Hula Hoop — as it’s a great piece of equipment if you need to work out away from home, since it is easy to assemble and take apart and comes with its own travel bag — was to watch the DVD. Was it really easy enough for a mom like me to do?
The DVD was relieving. The exercise looked challenging but do-able. The three 15-minute videos for the FXP Hula Hoop Workout System help you get “Fit in 15.” The videos have you using the hula hoop not just to hoop, but for sculpting, strengthening, and toning, all in 15 minutes. The three routines are Cardio Blast, with hooping and cardio, Sculpted Arms and Abs, which utilizes Pilates moves and Lower Body Sculpt, challenging your hips, thighs and glutes with Ballet Barre moves. It turns the hula hoop into a tool, something I’d never seen before.
I put together the hula hoop, which consists of six pieces that easily snap together and weighs two pounds, and got busy.
I HULA HOOPED SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN MY LIFE!
See how big that baby is? No scrunching and bending to step through and do tricks.
For reals. I am suddenly a 12-year-old girl again, trying to hoop in the midst of a group of ‘cool’ girls, all who could hoop without dropping it….and I did it! And I liked it!
I was hooked right then and there. I felt a little out of breath after doing it just a few minutes, but not in a way that prevented me from going further. It was similar to when I push myself during a run, by going a little faster or a little further. Fantastic! I even got a little fancy, waving my arms in the air and moving around the room. And then I dropped it.
Baby steps.
In addition to the hula hoop, the DVD and the carry case, you receive a guide on various moves and suggested lengths of time to do them. The guide includes the following segments: Cardio Waist, Glute, Thigh, Cardio Lunge and Yoga Inspired Stretch, and gives you ideas on mixing them up into a longer workout in which you rotate through the segments. Also provided on the guide are photos of all the stances you’ll need to get in, the movements in detail and everything you need to do it properly. Seeing photos of movements that are toning rather than cardio, so you don’t need to be a hula hoop pro, makes this a workout tool for everyone that wants to try something new and needs an all-over-body workout. (Always speak with your doctor before trying something new — I am not a doctor so this is not medical advice!)
I’m excited to add the FXP Hula Hoop to my repertoire now. Having a good time while working muscles I don’t normally use, knowing I’m burning calories, is a wonderful addition to my weekly exercise. Sometimes I feel stuck in having to run a certain amount or knowing that once in a zumba workout, I’m stuck for the duration, but with the hoop, I can do what fits in my schedule, so even a small amount is better than nothing I’d do if I don’t have the full 35-45 minutes that running or zumba takes.
Thank you, FXP Hula Hoop, for the hoop set — I can’t wait to have my kids try it, too. Motivation for exercise, especially on a busy schedule, can be hard, and this just kicked my motivation up a notch. Have you ever thought about your childhood days of hula hooping and wished you could do it again? Now’s your chance! If you really want to get into it, visit their Facebook page. They offer classes and even a teaching certification program! The success stories are inspiring. I wish there were local classes; who knows, maybe I’ll try to get certified one day!
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