Massage hoop: benefits, indications and contraindications

For many women, the most problematic part of the body is the abdominal area. This is where the largest amount of fat accumulates, which does not decrease even after various diets and intense, but short-term training.

And all because fat reserves in the abdominal cavity are burned by the body last, after the volume of the buttocks, arms, and legs has been reduced. Therefore, to combat fat in the waist area, a comprehensive approach is required, which includes a low-carbohydrate diet, regular exercise and giving up bad habits. At the same time, physical activity is the main condition for losing weight in the abdominal area. But what to do if you don’t have time to go to the gym, but you need to get your figure in order as quickly as possible? Trainers and beauty bloggers recommend using a hula hoop in this case. Is this simple exercise machine really capable of making your waist thinner in just 2-3 weeks? Let's figure it out.

How does a hula hoop work?

During the rotation of this sports equipment, the main load falls on the abdominal muscles, but the muscles of the hips, buttocks, back and legs are also involved. The rectus and oblique abdominal muscles are especially intensively worked. Also, the pressure of the hula hoop on the waist area breaks down fat deposits, which makes them burn faster.

But it’s important to remember that hula hooping doesn’t just make your waist smaller. After just 10-15 days of regular training, you will notice that:

• the skin in the abdominal area has become more elastic, stretch marks gradually disappear;
• the back muscles have become stronger, posture has improved;
• mild problems with the digestive tract disappeared;
• improved coordination of movements;
• cellulite began to disappear;
• flexibility and grace appeared.

Benefits of using a hoop

Of course, the popularity and love that hoops gained in the USSR can be explained not only by the release of the film - the hula hoop has become another tool that helps women stay in shape, along with the “Grace” disc and the gymnastics roller. And although today the range of sports equipment and exercise equipment has expanded significantly, a hoop can still bring a lot of benefits if you start using it regularly.

Instagram content

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Does any hoop help remove belly fat?

No. To successfully fight fat in the waist area, you need to know the following nuances:

1.

Lightweight hula hoops are designed for weight loss in general, as they require a lot of effort to twist. This means that during such training a lot of calories are burned. But since the stomach is the last to shrink, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort to combat this problem area with a light hoop.

2.

Special hoops - regular weighted hoops and special massage hoops - with hard or soft elements, as well as with built-in magnets, help reduce your waist size. Weighted models activate blood and lymph circulation, accelerating the process of breaking down fat during training. And massage hula hoops deeply work out fatty deposits and at the same time have a targeted effect on internal organs, improving their functioning.

3.

To make your belly fat disappear as quickly as possible, choose a hula hoop with hard massage elements that literally “break” fat.

4.

Beginners are recommended to take a model weighing up to 1.5 kg, gradually moving on to more massive options weighing up to 3.5 kg, intended for professionals.

Getting to know the simulator

How to choose a hula hoop for weight loss? Let's look at the main types:

• An ordinary metal hoop , known since the days of school physical education, almost every girl had one. You can write your own reviews about the hula hoop; it helps very well for weight loss, removes fat, especially if you do it for a few minutes every day.
• A folding hula hoop for weight loss is compact, convenient, for practicing not only at home, but also on business trips.
• A weighted hoop for gymnastics, some types weigh almost 2 kg - this is significant physical activity on problem areas, provides effective muscle pumping, weight loss, and removes the stomach.

A weighted model will help tighten your muscles

• Hula hoop with a massaging effect is a popular type of hoop. There are rubber pimples on the inside, it is believed that they break up cellulite and fat deposits more intensively, helping to lose weight, remove the belly and sculpt the figure in a short time.
• Hula hoop with built-in calorie sensor . This is a “smart” simulator, it counts the number of revolutions, calorie consumption, and even calculates the load for each day. The reviews are only positive, the hoop with a sensor takes into account physical fitness and individual characteristics, it is not just equipment, but a real assistant in weight loss.
• Inflatable hula hoop is a modern sports development for intensive weight loss. Made from durable rubber, its design features help to work out important muscle groups, adjust the waist, and remove the belly.

All hula hoops effectively promote weight loss and correct the figure: the model with spikes breaks down cellulite more intensively, removes excess from the sides and abdomen.
Before choosing a hula hoop, you need to meticulously identify your problem areas, clearly set goals and only then make a purchase.

Consultants from sports and online stores will help you choose the right equipment. The cost of a high-quality model starts from $20, you must admit, this is quite a pittance to remove belly fat, get rid of fat and cellulite. And of course, do not forget about proper nutrition; even the most exhausting exercises will only give visible weight loss results in combination with a diet.

How to make hula hoop sessions as effective as possible?

To do this, you need to follow simple recommendations:

• Exercise every day, starting with 3-5 minutes and gradually increasing the training time to 25-30 minutes.
• Do exercises at least 1-1.5 hours after eating.
• Always tense your abdominal muscles while spinning the hoop.
• To enhance the effect, twist the hula hoop in a certain position: with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands clasped behind your head.
• Work specifically at the waist, not the hips or the whole body.
• Over time, complicate the training: stretch your arms up, rise on your toes and lower on your heels, alternate the pace of rotation - speed up and slow down.

General recommendations

Using a hoop with a massage effect, like other sports equipment, requires compliance with certain rules:

1. It is important to take the correct starting position: arms above your head or spread to the sides, legs together, back straight. Moreover, your legs should not be spread too wide, as this will prevent you from working some muscles.
2. It is recommended to twist the hoop clockwise, performing calm and rhythmic actions. The amplitude of waist movement should be small.
3. To avoid bruising on the body, it is recommended to wear a T-shirt and high leggings that cover the waist. If hematomas do form, they should be lubricated with special ointments or ice should be applied. They should pass in a maximum of 2 weeks.
4. It is not recommended to spin the hula hoop after eating. If training takes place on a full stomach, you can get severe discomfort, and in case of complications, a serious disorder of the digestive system. You can twist the massage hoop no earlier than 2 hours after eating food or on an empty stomach. Drinking water is allowed.

Before twisting the massage hoop, you should do a light warm-up, including light bending to the sides, squats, etc.
In order not to harm your health during exercise, you should definitely take into account contraindications and available recommendations. Massage hula hoop is not a panacea, but only an additional means to a program for losing weight and improving the health of the body.

Does hula hoop help all women become slimmer?

Yes, regular hoop training will lead to a reduction in waist size within a couple of weeks. This happens by strengthening the abdominal muscles and actively burning fat. But if you hula hoop from time to time, the weight loss process may take 2-3 times longer.

Some women stop training with a massage hoop because bruises appear in the first 2-3 days after training. To avoid this, you need to use a special belt that not only protects the skin, but also stimulates more active fat burning.

And remember:

On the first day of training, you shouldn’t try to spin the hoop for as long as possible. Because this approach will not bring the desired result. Start with a couple of minutes, giving your muscles time to get used to the load and gradually increasing the duration of the sessions. Then the body will gradually, but for a long time, lose reserves of excess fat, the figure will become slimmer, and health will improve.

How did the hoop appear?

First, a little history. The first hoops appeared in the United States in the 1950s. Entrepreneur Richard Knerr learned that in Australia, supporters of an active and healthy lifestyle exercise with large bamboo rings, and together with his companion Arthur Merlin, he decided to launch production of a similar sports unit in his homeland. Moreover, the business partners had never seen the Australian original and developed their own version, which became the hula hoop familiar to us.

When hoops came to the USSR, they were not received positively and remained quite unpopular for several years. However, everything changed when the film “Welcome or No Trespassing” was released, where the girl masterfully twirled a hula hoop. Since then, it could be seen in almost every Soviet family.

Still from the film “Welcome or No Trespassing”, 1964

Examples of exercises with a hoop

Exercise No. 1

Warm-up exercise: rotate the hoop in one direction and the other for 2-3 minutes.

Exercise No. 2

Place your feet wide apart (width apart from your shoulders). Keep your back vertical, rotate the hoop on your hips, moving them clearly to the sides.

Exercise #3

Rotate the hoop 5 times in one direction, stop, and repeat 5 more rotations in the opposite direction. And so change from 10 to 20 approaches or up to 10 minutes.

Exercise #4

Start rotating the hoop in a comfortable direction, gradually begin to slowly squat as low as possible, and rise slowly in the same way. Bring the exercise to a few minutes.

Exercise #5

Start unwinding the hoop at your waist and gradually lower it to your hips, then lift it back up. Perform 10 rotations in one direction, then the same number in the opposite direction.

Exercise #6

Rise onto your toes, begin to spin the hoop at your waist, maintaining balance, raise your arms above your head with your palms together. Do the exercise for 10 minutes.

What muscles work when twisting a hoop?

During the rotation of the gymnastic circle, the body makes oscillatory movements back and forth. Behind the apparent simplicity of the exercise is the simultaneous work of almost 30 different muscles. The most important muscles are:

• backs;
• legs;
• press;
• buttocks;
• hands

If we talk about individual muscle groups, then when twisting a hula hoop, the following are involved:

• external obliques;
• chest;
• abdominal;
• calf;
• femoral;
• gluteal;
• triceps.

Contraindications

A hoop is a simple and effective sports equipment that only brings benefits to a healthy person. For a limited category of people, for some reason, hoop training is contraindicated on a temporary or permanent basis. There are conditions and diseases in which rotation of the circle is prohibited or allowed after consultation with a doctor:

1. Pregnancy - even in a short period, when the belly is not yet visible at all, any mechanical impact on the pelvic area can cause harm to the expectant mother and especially the fetus.
2. The period after childbirth - a woman’s body needs time for the reproductive organs to fully recover.
3. Postoperative period - internal organs need a certain period of time to heal and restore full functioning - three weeks or longer.
4. Menstrual cycle - during menstruation, twirling a hula hoop is prohibited, because the discharge may intensify to the point of bleeding.
5. Gynecological diseases (cyst, endometriosis, etc.) - only after the final treatment of pathologies associated with the female genital organs, they begin training with a circle.
6. Inflammatory processes of the pelvis or kidneys - exposure to rotation of the circle can aggravate the pathological condition.
7. Inguinal or hernia of the white line of the abdomen - when twisting a sports equipment, pinching of the hernial contents can occur.
8. Prolapse of the pelvic organs - the load from sports equipment, especially with weights, can worsen the situation.
9. Diseases of the spine or joints - here everything depends on the stage of the pathological process; any sporting events, including those with a weight loss circle, are carried out with caution.
10. Oncological tumors, both benign and malignant, exercises with a hoop are extremely undesirable and can unpredictably affect the course of the process.

Price for a hoop with spikes for weight loss

When choosing a professional circle, pay attention to its operational characteristics (collapsible or solid, weight of sports equipment, configuration of massage elements). You can purchase hula hoops with spikes or magnets in sports stores or on specialized online trading platforms. It is more convenient to buy at real points of sale, because you can see the product in person, and not from a photo, as in virtual spaces.

Is it possible to lose weight using a spiked hoop?

Definitely yes, at the same time strengthening the muscles of the abs, spine, hips, legs, and internal muscle tissue of the pelvis. An effective massage hoop for weight loss will simultaneously solve many problems - gaining a thin waist and a toned, elastic tummy, toning the core muscles, improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Even if you just twist the hoop around your waist every day for 5-10 minutes, the following changes will occur in your body:

• increased blood circulation in the pelvic organs;
• normalization of metabolism;
• strengthening the cardiovascular system;
• restoration of proper lymph circulation throughout the body;
• disappearance of the “lazy bowel” syndrome;
• getting rid of toxins and waste products of cells;
• reducing the appearance of cellulite in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks;
• improvement of well-being and mood;
• increased muscle tone;
• movement coordination training;
• burning from 15 to 20 calories (depending on the weight of the projectile) per minute of rotation of the hoop.

The most important benefit of a hoop is a beautiful, clearly defined waist - the dream of all women and the subject of admiration for many men. Thanks to exercises with a circle, a slim figure, correct posture and good health are ensured. The sports simulator has a simple design so that its use does not require special knowledge or special training. The principle of operation of a hoop with pimples is incredibly simple:

• muscle training is carried out by holding a circle at the waist;
• the breakdown of subcutaneous fat deposits occurs due to the action of spikes or rollers;
• calorie burning is real with systematic exercise with a circle that has weights inside, which contribute to increased stress;
• improvement of blood circulation, lymph, as well as the functioning of internal organs is achieved through the massage effect.

Within one second of spinning a hula hoop, several rotational movements are performed, in 5 minutes there are hundreds of them, and in a quarter of an hour there are thousands of revolutions. Such a powerful massage effect cannot leave its mark on the waist. The “impacts” of round sports equipment on the body “break” subcutaneous fat deposits and cellulite. There is a thorough study of the abs, lumbar region, and the muscular corset of the spine.

What muscles work during torsion?

More than 30 important muscles of the body are involved in hula hoop rotation. These include muscle fibers of the spinal column, abs, pelvis, hips, and legs. Thanks to the soft load when twisting a hoop with spikes for weight loss, the muscles are worked out synchronously. As a result of regular exercises with the circle, beautiful elastic contours of the figure are formed without pronounced relief.