Proof that you will soon be buff

Hooping is great exercise.

We know.

But how many of you, like me, have...sort of doubted it? It's crazy. I know. I can always feel the results and definitely work up a sweat and feel my heart pounding when I hoop - but I have this mental block. It says "if I am really burning 600 calories this hour I should probably be more miserable, right?" Shouldn't I be staring endlessly at the elliptical read out? Trying to distract myself with mindless magazines that all have the same 'diet secrets' and Photoshopped faces? 

Seeing as that sounds miserable, I was pretty excited when I found the American Council of Exercise study on the benefits and effects of hooping. Participants in the study were women aged 16-59, who hooped at an intermediate to advanced level. They all did the same 35-minute hoop routine while wearing specialized equipment to record their results.

(Go here to read the full study for more details.) 

You're NOT EVEN CLOSE to DONE!

The results show that - nope - you don't have to be miserable to get a great workout. Woo Hoo(p)! In the half hour session women burned over 200 calories, with roughly 7 calories/minute. That's more than advanced pilates, power yoga, and aerobics. A high energy session would definitely take care of 600 calories. Bam. Fun and Fitness.

Though I'd like more details about the study - like what size hoops were used, and what moves were performed, it feels good to have some proof of the claim. Don't get me wrong, I will always stand by my claim that hooping should be fun first, and exercise second, but its pretty nice that it happens to be both.