Mel Andrews is a tutor at Lifetime Training, and has over ten years experience in personal training and GP referral instructing. Below she answers your fitness questions to help you get and stay in shape.
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Carrie Asks:
I’ve heard hula hoping is becoming quite a fashionable toning trend, but will it really do any good or am I better off going to the gym?
Mel’s Answer:
Quite frankly, anything that you enjoy doing that burns a few extra calories is going to be a good thing!
I have to confess that I haven’t hula hoped since I was about 12 and although I used to thoroughly enjoy it I’ve not been familiar with its individual fitness benefits.
Simply put, after doing a little research, the gyratory movement needed to keep the hula hoop spinning around your waist will raise your heart rate but so will any other movement that utilises big muscle groups. Some designs seem to have wheels incorporated which claim to have a massaging effect to help break down fatty deposits around the waistline. Some hoops also have a function where by you can fill the hoop with varying amounts of water to make the hula hoping more or less difficult. More water leads to more momentum being generated so it’s easier to keep the hoop moving. Less water means more effort to keep it moving. Some of the other benefits are weight loss, reduced blood pressure and improved muscle tone but, once again, any form of activity will produce these benefits, including walking, which raises the heart rate, burns calories and engages the core muscles to help you maintain posture.
It certainly sounds like a fun way to get some exercise but, check out the cost of the kit first. Other activities that will produce similar, if not identical, results are free!
Mel Andrews, pictured. When taking up any new activities or exercise always consult with your GP first and ensure that you get advice from an appropriately qualified instructor.
For more information on fitness courses & more contact Lifetime Training on 0870 702 7273 or visit www.lifetimehf.co.uk
