When I was a kid, I was no athlete although I would have liked to be one. When the hula hoop was introduced, it looked like something I could actually do, so I begged for one. My mother found these heavy black rubber ones that sold for about a dollar while the regular ones were several dollars. She did buy some of the smaller hard plastic ones, though.
My younger sister and I practiced and practiced with those clunky black hoops and got really good at it. When we got the chance to use a ‘real’ hoop, we were even better, so when the local shopping center announced a contest, we were eager to participate. My mother was rather stunned by the idea of me competing in anything remotely athletic since I was a chubby klutz.
There were competitions for the longest continuous use of a hoop, the most hoops going at once, and for tricks as well. And they provided all the standard hoops for us to use, so those black things didn’t slow us down. My sister won two of the contests in her age group and amazingly, so did I in the older age group. I felt like walking on air. The prizes included a rather large collection of those real hoops which was great.
Learning to use a hula hoop was a great confidence builder for a shy and awkward kid. I could not only do what my friends did but could even do it better than they could. Being too poor for fancy equipment didn’t even matter, so I have a special place in my heart for hula hoops.
Today I still use hoops for fitness
Using hoops is easier for me when doing arm-extended exercise than just trying to hold arms up without a hoop. Making it more comfortable motivates me to do more exercise and the fun aspect makes working out feel more like play than a burdensome task.
If you never played with hula hoops, I don’t believe it is ever too late to start joining in on the fun. I know a ninety year old lady who still twirls a mean hoop and looks pretty cool doing it. The neatest part of watching her is her great big grin as that hoop spins.
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