How to Hula Hoop

Hula Hooping for Beginners

Put on athletic clothing. Wear a tight-fitting shirt and pants so it'll be easier to hula hoop and so the hoop won't get caught on any loose clothing. Comfortable shoes will also make it easier for you to hula hoop. They don't have to be athletic shoes, and the choice of even wearing shoes at all, is optional. It will neither influence nor harm your attempt to hula hoop. Avoid wearing any bracelets or any dangling jewelry that can get caught in the hula hoop.

Put the hula hoop on the ground. Choose a hoop that reaches your chest or waist when you stand it on its side. Larger hoops are ideal for beginners because they spin more slowly, which gives you more time to adjust to the rhythm of the hoop. If you're really committed to hula hooping, you can try hoops of a variety of weight and size to see what works best for you.

Step inside the hoop. While you could step inside the hoop while it's lying flat on the ground, you may find it easiest to pick up the hoop near the front, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart, while letting the back of the hoop remain touching the ground. As you lift the hoop, step through inside it so that your feet are just to the inside of the back of the hoop.

Move your hands toward the edges of the hoop. Slide your hands to the sides of the hula hoop while lifting the rest of the hoop of the ground. Keep your hands apart at a comfortable distance.

Bring the hula hoop up to your waist level. Step one foot in front of the other to gain balance.

Grip the hoop firmly with two hands. Relax the hoop against one side of your torso.

Spin the hoop. If you're a righty, firmly spin the hoop counter-clockwise. If you're a lefty, spin it clockwise.

Start to move your waist in a circular motion. Push your stomach forward as the hoop moves across your stomach. Push the hoop back when it moves across your back. Or you can rotate your waist in small circles and when the hoop touches your left hit your waist towards the left side and when the hoop touches your right hit towards the right. Eventually you will find a perfect motion for pumping your torso.

Continue spinning the hoop. Keep moving your waist in a circular motion as you let go and aim to get the hoop to wrap itself around your waist like a barber's pole, round and round and round. If the hoop falls below your waist or even falls to the ground, pick it up and try again. When the hoop falls, try spinning it in the other direction. Though righties prefer to spin the hoop counter-clockwise and lefties prefer to spin it clockwise, you should still find the direction that works best for you. The direction you prefer is called your "first direction" or your "in-flow."

Expect the hoop to fall the first few tries as you get used to the motion. Just pick up the hoop again and keep going. It is as much about getting the feeling for the motion as it is about following instructions. Once you become more experienced as a hula-hooper, you can discover some tricks for recovering a falling hoop.

Have fun! Keep the basic motion going for as long as you can.

Advanced Hula Hooping

Learn how to recover a falling hoop. If you feel like you're getting the hang of it and you don't want to keep picking up the hoop from the ground, you can also learn to recover the hoop when it's about to fall. This will make you look more like a pro and can let you spin the hoop for much longer. Here are a few things to try if the hoop falls below your waist: Bend your knees below the hoop while pushing your hips really fast to get the hoop to move back up to your waist. Turn your body in the direction of the flow of the hoop while pushing your hips really fast. Move your body much quicker than normal to recover the position of the hoop.

Master some more hula hooping skills. As you become more experienced as a hula hooper, you can add to your hula hooping repertoire by trying some new skills. Here's what you can do: Practice moving faster. You can do this by shifting the weight between your feel more quickly, or by pumping your torso back and forth more quickly. Move around as you hula hoop. To do this, turn your body in the direction that the hoop is moving. Shuffle your feet in the right direction. Try the "booty bump". Instead of moving the hula hoop around your waist, try moving it along your butt. Try moving the hoop up and down your body. An experienced hula hooper can make the hoop move above or below his waist while still recovering it. If you really want to kick it up a notch, you can try spinning the hoop around your head or your arms, or even around just one of your legs. Lighter hoops work better for this trick.