Who would have thought that a toy from the 1950s would become a fitness tool today? Hula hoop workouts with weighted hula hoops are great for tightening the core muscles and giving you a good cardio workout. You can use an exercise hoop to trim your waist with the added bonus of aerobic benefits.

With 30 minutes of exercise everyday, you will be able to tone your hip and stomach muscles and burn calories with a hoop. For your workout, you will need a hula hoop similar in shape to the plastic toy from your past.

Exercise hoops are beefed-up hula hoops also known as weighted hoops. They usually weight between 3 and 5  pounds and are larger in size compared to the plastic toy hula hoops. Some sporting goods stores carry custom designed hoops filled with water to help with easy hooping and to maintain overall momentum during the exercise.

To select the right size, stand the hula hoop on the floor. The top should come somewhere between your chest and waist.

Larger and heavier hoops are easier to keep in motion. Don’t worry if you failed at hula hoops as a child. There’s a big chance that you will have no trouble with weighted hoops. If you want a longer hula hoop workout, use larger weighted hula hoops. Experienced hoopers who want to burn calories fast can use small hoops. The smaller the hoop, the faster you will have to move to keep it in the air.

Starting a hula hoop workout can add fun to your exercise routine. Stand with one foot in front of the other. Hold the hoop at waist level, touching the center of your back. Give the hoop a gentle push to start it spinning and begin rocking from one foot to the other. This will keep the hoop in the air. Practice rotating the hoop in both directions. This will work your muscles evenly on both sides of the body.

Don’t worry if you are clumsy at first. With practice, you will soon get the hang of it. Expect to have sore leg and stomach muscles if you are new at this. If you have back problems, hula hoop workouts may not be the best exercise for you.

You can add variety to your workout by using smaller hoops to exercise your arms and legs. Once you have mastered the standard hula hoop workout, you may want to watch videos or take hooping classes to learn complicated moves and fun tricks. The basic weighted hula hoop workouts, however, are often enough to keep you in great shape.

You can find a whole hula hoop workout system at Amazon on the cheap!