“Kids like it (hooping) because they can vary the routine and feel like circus performers with a little practice.” – Missy Cooke

Pick one up and put it on. Go ahead and “swirl” girl.

Hundreds are discovering – and in some cases, rediscovering – the joy of “hooping” at area parks, which represents a fun and inexpensive way to get fit, according to Tonji Zimmerman, 41, ace hooping instructor and hoop maker from Ypsilanti .
“Hooping is a belly blast of a good time that can burn 150 to 250 calories per 30-minute workout and lose three to six inches on your body,” says Zimmerman. People who take her classes in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor can tone their thighs, abdominals, glutes and arms while laughing and dancing.

“You see a lot of nontraditional exercise taking off,” Zimmerman notes . “It is fun, people feel like they do something.”

Zimmerman couldn’t hoop as a youngster, but took to the adult version like a teen to a smart phone. “I found it a great cardio workout,” she says. “With practice my waist got a little smaller.”

In East Lansing, Missy Cooke offers a hoop jams weekly in local parks and brings extra hoops for children and adults. She has a six-week class scheduled in the fall at the Kick It Out Dance Studio for adults. And she shares kid-friendly videos on how to hoop on her You Tube channel.

Celebrities are getting into the swing, too. Kelly Osbourne told several fashion magazines she lost 70 pounds with daily exercise. Michelle Obama, Catherine Zeta Jones, Beyonce and Zooey Deschanel endorse hula hooping for sculpting their figures.

And it’s not just about one’s self-image, children can get involved, making it truly a family affair.

“Hooping is a great sport to do with children,” Cooke says. “You can stop and start whenever you want. You can get a lot of satisfaction out of exercising in your backyard without investing in fancy equipment.

But hooping became more than a physical activity – it was a meditative exercise.

“All my thoughts and concentration go into the hoop, moving with it, dancing with it,” she says. “I find it more fun than yoga or Pilates and I get the same effect. Kids like it because they can vary the routine and feel like circus performers with a little practice.”

Editor’s Note: Many hooping classes are offered throughout Michigan, including Southfield-based Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church’s program ( https://www.facebook.com/hoopinforthehealthofit), AudaciousHoops.com in Grand Rapids and LansingHoops.com. Zimmerman teaches through Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation (You can find Cooke’s kid-friendly video at: www/youtube.com/user/Lansinghoops.

Hula How To’s:

** Small motions are best: You can keep the hoop up by stepping one foot forward and one back. Take the hoop in both arms and spin it in the direction that feels most comfortable. When the hoop is in front, move your belly forward, when the hoop goes around the back, move your waist back. If it starts to drop, increase the pace and then get a rhythm.

** Work both sides: You can start hooping one direction but you build up endurance and balance by training the hoop to go both ways. Get those hips moving.

** Play music and dance: Once you get your rhythm down pat, start to dance with your arms and feet while twirling.

Remember: The best part of hooping is that you don’t need special clothing, shoes or exercise mats, just an open space without breakables. Your whole family can join the fun.

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