Just after Christmas, Trazey from Canada posted a link to a video of a girl hula hooping that looked so fun I couldn't resist trying it myself. I just completed a series of 4 weekly classes, and it really IS fun! I'm just not so good at it.

I think the secret is a lot of practice. Since I could only use the hoops at the studio, my next step is to purchase my own hoop. Does anybody with experience have any suggestions? I found that the bigger hoops were easier for me, but I don't want to purchase something that I'll progress out of quickly. My plan is to get really good at basic waist hooping, then go back for more trick classes.

Daimere, I just went to your blog and watched your video titled "Big Girls Can Hoop, too" and it's so inspirational. All of the people at the studio were smaller than me, although not all were super thin. It's great to know that there's hope! I was beginning to think it was my size that made it so difficult.

If anyone's on the fence, just try it! It's more like play than any other exercise I've done -- even Zumba! You just grin the whole time!

I can't find the original post from a couple of weeks ago, but here's the video link that Trazey posted... doesn't it look fun?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qlAh...ature=youtu.be I actually sent the link to 3 friends and they took classes with me! FUN!

What sizes and weights was your class hoops? You could get the same sort of hoop but 1-2 inches smaller. I just don't want you to get a small/light hoop that won't help you. Either way, your first hoop will always be a great tool to go back for meditation/watching tv hooping.

I currently use a 44-46" 160 PSI hoop. Etsy is a great place to buy hoops. I recommend Hoop Momma's on etsy because they are a good bargin PLUS I have messaged the girl there and asked her if she'd ever make people hoops larger than 42" and she said yes. I'll be honest. I've been at a 48-42" for the last year. I don't see myself outgrowing my 42"unless I lose more weight. 42" is not my stable waist hooping size, either. 42" for me is move and groove hoop when I'm traveling. 44-46" is my stable waist hooping size and I typically use that the most. The secret is a good hoop and practice. I am doing a 30/30 challenge currently. That's what made me get so much better when I was learning. I'm glad that video inspired you!

Also, where are you in Texas? I'm not sure if tickets are still avaliable but you should go to Hottie Hoop Camp! It's for bigger ladies that hoop! And you could meet Lara Eastburn! SO you should go! Active fun vacations? Yes please!

http://hottiehoopcamp.com/

Also you can split costs and make a hoop making party with friends. Hoops are really easy to make, too!

yay for finding an exercise you love!

Also feel free to watch my other videos on mrsdaimere channel or HoopLoveofficial channel. Especially my beginning videos, you can see that i totally sucked in the beginning. Progress in the hoop video also tells my hoop size journey

This hooping craze doesn't seem to have reached the UK yet. Can't wait til it does. Sounds like fun.

I tried hooping with the Danskin hoop from walmart. It weighs 3lbs I think and costs $20. It was so heavy and awkward, nothing like I remember as a kid!

I wonder if there would be any benefit of buying a kids one just to get the practice in with such a lightweight one. I want to strengthen my core and hooping is supposed to be one of the best things for that.

I wouldn't recommend buying a kid's hoop. I actually won a pretty pink hula hoop at a Christmas party this year, and was going to save it to give a kid at the next occasion that came up. I couldn't hoop with it to save my life! After I saw the video Trazey posted, I wondered how could that girl do it, and I couldn't?! I read online that they're too small (34") for adults, unless your waist is the size of a kid's! And, they have water in them which makes them kind of unstable. I even made a hole and drained the water from mine, but I still couldn't do it.

Apparently, the size of the hoop is the secret, and the studio I went to had a "standard" size that most people used, and then a couple of bigger ones. The largest one (giant, compared to a kid's) was the easiest, but I felt weird with such a big hoop! I wish I knew the exact size of the one I used the most... I'll have to call the studio and ask. I know the teachers all had their own collections of hoops and brought them in for the lessons.

Also, the hoops we used weren't very heavy -- they were made from that black sprinkler system pipe that they recommend making them from. That might be something to look into -- a craft project!

Daimere -- thanks for the advice. I had no idea where to start on the sizes... I'll call the studio and ask what size the hoop I used was. duh! Never thought of that. Great to know what sizes you use(d), too. I'm so excited to get better at just the basic hooping so I can learn more. Some of the people in my class said they would hoop for an hour or so a day -- maybe watching TV! I never thought of that! I'm sure with practice I'll get the hang of it. I can probably go about 30 seconds, or maybe a bit longer, but then I lose it and the hoop falls....

I looked into the camps and events they have going on around here. For one thing, I think I'm a bit older than the usual hoop enthusiast -- they all look like 20 and 30 somethings, and I'm 46! They might not want "mom" hanging around their fun! Also, I'm thinking I need to be a bit better with the basics before I go and frustrate the crowd trying to learn more advanced tricks.

I saw your signature and thought you'd be a good one to talk to about my newfound love! Thanks for the info, and I'll go back to your blog and look around more.

I didn't think the craze had hit Texas, either. I had no idea that people were doing something like this until I saw the linked video. A google search later, I found classes in my city, and the people there had been hooping for years. How did I miss it?

Check around. I bet there are folks "across the pond" happily hooping away! And, if they're not, it looks like videos are available, and maybe you could learn on your own.

Did you know that Nick Broyd, the first Hooping Idol is from Bristol, I believe. In the UK, they have a hoop retreat called Swoop. There are multiple awesome hoopers in the UK, Nick Broyd, Steve Bags, Sharna Rose (omgoshhh), and a former curvy hooper that I can't think of right now. She was a hooping idol contestant too. If you want a laugh, watch Nick Broyd's stuff. He's amazing (and talented...and hot).

That hoop sucks for even ME. 3 lbs is too heavy. Most hoops are under 2 lbs and perfect for adults. Also, we (as in women) don't need the foam padding. I feel like it's a cop out cause "we're delicate flowers."

- I think Philo told me that the age range that hooping.org goes for IS 30-40s. I'm pretty sure Lara Eastburn is like 30-40s. I am almost thousand times positive that one of the creators of it is in her 40s! Lara told me a 40 year old would not be out of place there. I went to Flow Camp as a beginner and it was so amazing! You learn and grow so much. Plus hottie hoop camp has other classes that are fun. Here's an article Lara wrote: http://www.hooping.org/2012/04/postc...tie-hoop-camp/ This is one of the very few retreats that is plus size friendly/age friendly (the only other one I can think of would be playthink cause there were people of all sizes there). I routinely find people that have never picked up a hoop before learn it at a festival for the first time and they still try tricks. It's awesome. PS: I learned how to do a vortex before learning to waist hoop. Lara/superhooper.org is in TX by the way. Lara is like AMAZING. I luff her. I think most people do and she's plus sized. Hoopers are amazing for the most part and are SO welcoming. It's makes me feel like I have a place in the world for once. I only say everyone should go to a festival cause it's so much activity. and SO much fun. And how many people do you meet that understand how awesome this is? People think I'm weird. Flow peoples don't. And if I could I would sooo go to HHC. And I love going to movement festivals now. I go home sore from all that work!

There is a woman in her 70s that hoops in Lexington and I think there is a woman in her 60s (mildly annoying woman at that) who comes to all the festivals. And all the instructors know her. THey'll be like, "oh it's anne. A bit kooku and annoying but you got to love her. HUGGGS!" Actually now that I think of it, I can think of multiple people in their 30-40s that go to fests with me.

Most hoops for beginners are made with irrigation tubing in sizes of 100 or 160 PSI. 160 is heavier. I can't do anything 100. You can get the tubing from Lowes or Home Depot and make your own! Also, certain tapes make hooping easier like gaffer and duct.

Thank you both for the info! I really want to try this again so maybe I will try to find a better hoop. And AwShucks, I can assure you---my 228lbs does not include a waist the size of a child lmao!!!

Off to look at hoops again!

That sounds like a lot of fun, actually. Do you have to go to classes to get started? I'm not sure if there are any in my area.

There may be classes in your area. I know a few hoopers in NC like Baxter from Carrboro (home of HoopPath) and Beth Lavinder. If you are close to Raleigh, the amazing Caroleeena is there. She is a doll face seriously! You have some amazing hoopers in your presence existing in your state!

But other than that, all you need is an appropriate hoop and youtube/DVD. You can get Hoopnotica's or Hooplicious' dvd (this dvd may be amazing cause she sure is). You can buy a class session online that never expires on HoopCity. Then there are youtube videos. I have channels with a few tutorials: youtube.com/hooploveofficial (plus my other channel), Caroleeena has a youtube channel. Or just youtube search hooping tutorials. Kamala (the girls in pink) have a ton of basics on youtube.

I think you could pick up the basics on your own. However, when I found it was more difficult that I thought, it was good to have someone to look at me and tell me to stand up straighter, or push harder. I think posture has a lot to do with it. You could definitely TRY to teach yourself, and if you need more help, you could look up somebody local and find a class.

Kids do this stuff all the time... there should be NOTHING to it, right? I don't think there's much of a risk of hurting yourself, other than tiring yourself out, and maybe sore abdominals...at least for beginning moves. There were new people that joined my class and caught on almost immediately... a lot of them had hooped as a child. I've NEVER been able to do it. I guess I've been too big for standard hula hoops since 2nd grade! ha!

Daimere, you are truly an expert. You even know all of the hoop celebrities! I'll look again into the Hottie Hoop camp. I'm not far from Galveston/Surf Side Beach, and I could go for a day with their day pass. I'm quite sure I'm not ready for Fire Hooping, so I wonder if they have alternative classes at that time for the beginners?

It is great that it is for plus sized gals. I hadn't thought much about it, but I guess it would be pretty intimidating to go to a camp with all lithe, slender, graceful people! (Am I prejudiced? It's just that it is nice to have something geared JUST FOR US! Funny, my classes were taught by two different people, and one of them has her photo posted on the website from last year's camp. She mentioned it in class, so... at least I might know someone there!

Something I learned just today.... Like Elvisluvr said -- hooping is supposed to be a great core workout. Keep in mind, I've only done it once a week for the past 4 weeks (about an hour each). Today, I had a substitute teacher in a workout at the gym. Our usual Zumba was cancelled, so we did circuits with about 8 different stations. (I thought I would die! Very intense -- maybe just because it was new to me) Anyway, one station was situps while holding a medicine ball, and I could DO them! I had no trouble at all! I was breathing hard, don't get me wrong, but I could SIT UP! I've not been able to do many in a row before without a medicine ball, so I think that's real progress! The only thing I can credit that with is the Hula Hooping, so it must be working!