If you want to have fun, while you get fitter, try remembering the things you did as a kid and do them again. You can Hula Hoop for a slimmer waist, jump rope for weight loss and ride your bike for stronger bones. Active children never seem to have a weight problem. However, today with all the electronics, you see more and more obesity. When you were growing up, most kids ran all day playing dodge ball and tag, built leaf forts and played hide and seek. It’s time to get back to the play of yesterday and make it a great exercise to trim your waist.

Hula Hooping burns calories.

You’ll burn about six calories every minute you twist and twirl with a hula hoop. That’s one of the top calorie burning exercises. While spot exercises won’t take weight off just one area, it does take it off from the whole body, including that area. The more calories you burn, the more belly fat you lose and the thinner your waist will become.

You’ll tighten and tone your abdominal muscles.

You can target specific muscle groups, particularly if you have a weighted exercise hula hoop. By putting your body into different positions as you gyrate, you’ll be able to work all the abdominal muscles, including the obliques. When you tone those, you pull your waistline tighter, making it smaller in the process.

Hula hooping is a good full body aerobic exercise.

Do all the leg lifts you want, but you’ll only get less aerobic benefit from it compared to Hula Hooping. You also won’t get the flexibility workout you’ll have with a hula hoop. If you’re using a weighted Hula Hoop, you’ll be able to keep working out longer, but the lighter weight traditional it takes more energy (calories) to keep it going. It’s your decision as to which you like, burning more calories in a shorter time or doing the exercise longer. Try out both types.

• You’ll tone more than your waistline with a hula hoop. You can change your position and work other areas of your body from your arms and legs to your buttocks.
• Hula hooping is relaxing. Your mind goes on autopilot while you’re doing it, which is almost a meditative state.
• When you hula hoop, no matter how good the exercise, it’s just plain fun. The fun aspect is one of the reasons it became so popular initially.
• Even though hula hooping is safe for most people, those with back problems, blood clot problems or who are pregnant shouldn’t participate or should consult their health care professional if there are anything in your medical history that makes you unsure or uncomfortable about its use.