Why does your hula hoop keep falling to the ground like gravity just multiplied 10 fold!?
Do you feel like giving up?
Have you thrown your hula hoop across the room in frustration, causing sheer destruction in it’s path?
Well don’t worry, I have been there!
Some people pick it up straight away and can keep it spinning for ages (these were probably the same people you hated at school).
However, us mere mortals can sometimes have a harder time.
Over the past 4 years I have been teaching hula hoop fitness to women of all ages, shapes and sizes. Occasionally some people just can’t seem to get the “knack”… or so they thought! Usually it just takes a bit of tweaking and like magic they can do it!. If you are finding yourself in this position then I’m going to cover some of the possible reason’s why your hula hoop might be falling. Read on…
Reason #1 – It’s The Wrong Size.
If you have one of those kids hula hoops from your local supermarket then FORGET IT! They are far too small and far too light. You need an adult sized weighted hula hoop, you can get these on eBay or Amazon and possibly local suppliers, just type in ‘adult weighted hula hoop’ to Google and see what happens.
Personally I don’t like the really heavy weighted ones (2lbs or over) I have 2 of these and I never use them because of how much they hurt, plus they bruise me, I can usually only waist hoop for 5 or 10 minutes with them.
I recommend the hoops that are 2lbs or under and are wrapped in grip tape (gaffer tape) which is cloth based and sticks to your clothes and skin.
Reason #2 – Wrong Technique!
If you’re struggling to keep the hoop spinning then it could be because you just haven’t got the technique down yet! If you’re stuck in the 50′s and still doing the circular hip movements then you need to get with the times!
Here is the correct technique..
– Stand with one foot in front of the other (doesn’t matter which foot)
– Push the hula hoop with good force around your waist and make sure it’s straight
– Begin rocking your hips forward and back, shifting your weight from front to back foot.
Please try to avoid the big hip circles.. you will NOT have success trying to hoop like that.
Think of it as a push pull movement, pushing forward with your belly and back with your lower back.
Keep the shoulders back and down and head still.. try to avoid flailing!
If the hoop is still falling then try hooping faster. I call it double time hooping.. that should do the trick!
Reason #3 – Your Clothes Are Holding You Back
This one sounds a bit random, but it’s true!
If you are wearing the wrong type of clothing then this won’t come easy to you. Let me give you some examples of clothes to avoid when hooping.
– Loose t-shirts, jumpers, cardigans
– High waisted shorts or jeans
– Sweat pants/workout clothes that are made of nylon or non natural fibers.
Wear some tight fitting clothing like vests or t-shirts and tight pants or leggings made of natural fibers such as cotton. I would recommend as a beginner wearing trainers or something to cover your feet. If the hoop is falling a lot you don’t want some bruised tootsies!
If you want to learn more about how to hula hoop then sign up for my Free Video Course. You won’t be sorry!
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions or need any help!
Until next time,
Happy Hooping!
Carly