Let's Hoola for Fitness....

This posting is a bit late tonight due to an odd internet outage in this area?? Anyways..for those people contemplating what the heck to do when pinched for time and/or moola (money) to maintain or initiate a fitness routine in mini Alaska (Minnesota)..and in other states as well (of course)...Hoola Hooping may be the answer. Hear me out before you immediately envision Lucille Ball Hoola Hooping in her kitchen while preparing Desi dinner. I learned to Hoola about four years ago at a local YWCA. I was driven to conquer one of the few fitness endeavors I could not as a kid...the other being rope climbing in gym class...I digress...we will come back to the rope climbing (humbling) experience at a later date. Anyways, after the class, which, by the way was almost as fun as mountain biking for me, I purchased a home made hoop. The instructor constructed these hoops out of water and old garden hose, quite ingenious I might add, and sold them for little profit to herself. Why the hay is hooping so great...or so you may be asking...for one, it is cheap, can be done anywhere, even one legged while waiting for your bus for work, for minimal cost, etc. Does it sound promising so far? The added benefits are that hooping increases "core" muscle strength as well as having a pretty high caloric burn to the tune of approximately 125-150 per fifteen minutes. The reason core muscle strength is so important is because many people do not possess it and there are approximately 75 percent of Americans who experience back pain at some point in their lives. This pain is mainly attributed to lack of core strength. The main goal of core strengthening is to create a solid foundation in the body and to bypass joint and muscle pain and issues. In short, by making your core muscles strong, you can bypass many so called "age" related injuries and by doing so, can partake in many life enhancing activities for a long, long time. So, what are you waiting for, make or purchase a hoop. A great resource is:  http://www.hoopnotica.com/.

P.S.  Hoola Hoop shown in picture is comprised of underground irrigation hose, roughly ten feet in length, with a male to male splicer and filled 3/4 with water (weight of approx. 3 lbs.) and sealed with silicone.  The parts to make your own hoop can be found at any: Home Depot, Lowes, Menards...ask the attendant for assistance .