HOOP THERE IT IS!

Here is my last blog ever!!!! Well maybe not ever, but my last Innovative Activities blog. During class, we had the privilege of learning all about therapeutic hula hooping from Ali Serber, one of our fellow TR students. She is really passionate about using hula hooping to benefit a number of different populations. She started off by giving our class a brief overview of the benefits of hula hooping in general. I was very surprised to learn about the recent study done that proves that hula hooping offers the same aerobic and calorie burning benefits as a kickboxing or bootcamp type class. We got to make our own hula hoops our of irrigation tubing and all kinds of fun duct tape. (My personal favorite was the black with red/orange flames on it!!!!!!)

Here's Chris and I Hula Hoopin' it up outside the HSC! 

"Do you know "Hula Hooping" was an ancient invention? There are historical evidences to prove hooping was one of the exercises practiced by the Greeks. In olden days, hoops were made from wood, bamboo, grasses, vines and at times from metals such as iron and copper. The Hula-hoops that are available in the market today are made from safe plastics. Hooping as a toy for children was introduced in Great Britain in the 14th century. In the early 19th century, some British soldiers happened to witness "Hula" dancing in the islands of Hawaii. The hooping and hula dancing had some similarities because dancing used the hoops. Hence, the name Hula Hooping was given to this fun activity and exercise."

^ This info came from a website that described the Health Benefits of Hula Hooping

There is a lot more info out there about hula hooping as a form of exercise than I once thought! There are many websites that offer different varieties of hula hoops including different sizes and weighted ones too to enhance the workout for different ability levels.

There is even a "Free Style Salsa" Hula Hooping workout DVD!!!!!

Check out this WEBSITE for more cool hula hooping exercise stuff!











I never thought about utilizing hula hooping as a part of a therapy program before, but after this class I definitely think that I will be utilizing it in my future career as a CTRS. It offers so many benefits to all disability populations: relaxation, exercise, and especially the mind, body & soul connection that is so important in all TR programs. Also, by making your own hoops, they can become very inexpensive to make and can add in the extra element of creativity for each population. I really enjoyed learning more about this activity, and I am definitely planning on learning more about the vast world of hooping in the near future!

Peace & Blessings :)