Instructor Jen Bleier (front) and student Andrea Weber practice Hoopilates, a mix of hula hooping and Pilates.

We were a bit nervous heading to our first Hoopilates class in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. As a child, we couldn’t keep hula hoops on our hips, so instead we rolled them up and down the driveway. But to our surprise, we were soon hooping it up, under the direction of Jen Bleier, a Pilates instructor who combines hula hooping with stability exercises, spine rotation, extension, flexion and balance work. It also helped that Hoopilates — one of the latest in an increasing number of hula-hoop workouts — uses heavier Circle Candy hoops that makes keeping it aloft slightly easier. “I think hooping is on the rise because it is absolutely joyful and contagious,” Bleier says.

The nostalgic pastime with a twist is a cardio workout, as well as strength training for abs, glutes, arms and legs. But perhaps the biggest plus: It’s a fun way to exercise, judging from the smiles and laughs of the dozen women gathered in the park. “Hooping is play,” Bleier says. “It is also exercise and I think people are starting to think more out of the box — off the treadmill — when it comes to their workouts.”  We hooped and even (sort of) learned how to twirl the hoop around our arms and above our head, though we have yet to master some of the cool tricks. Participants, who sign up on the website, are asked to bring a yoga mat or towel for a seated series, though hoops are provided upon request. In the winter, the classes, which cost $10, will move indoors to a venue to be determined.

For those who want to hoop at home, there are a variety of resources, including dance-oriented hoop DVDs from Hoopnotica, BodyHoops and HoopGirl. Christabel Zamor (aka HoopGirl) also provides a list of certified instructors and recently produced a book/DVD set called Hooping (Workman Publishing Co., 2009). Check out “Trainer Trend-Spotting” in the July/August issue for hooping and other hot workouts.

Aside from flinging our hoop into a tree several times and emitting a shriek when we spotted an ant marching across our torso, we didn’t do anything too embarrassing — and we have never had so much fun working our core. Do you think you’ll give hula hooping a try?

Photo credit: Pableaux Johnson

Tags: Busking, Christabel Zamor (HoopGirl), Circus skills, Dances, Entertainment, Hoop, Hooping, Hula hoop, Human development, Performing arts, Treadmill, Twirling, USD, WORKMAN PUBLISHING CO, Youth culture