5 Ways to start hula-hooping

Okay. I want to hula hoop now. Where do I start?

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t After learning about why you should hula-hoop, now it’s time to dig a little deeper and learn how to start.

Take a class

t Obviously, this is the easiest way to start hooping. However, not every area offers this kind of class. Most of the bigger cities in the U.S. will offer a class somewhere (gym, dance theater, yoga studio, etc.). The key here is having the interest and using our friend Google. Just simply type “hula-hoop class, your city,” and see what you get. There are also a lot of video series out there that you can buy online to learn all of the basic moves and beyond; this is basically like having a class in your own living room.

Find a community

t If there is a hooping class in your city, there’s most likely a community of hoopers/movement artists surrounding it. Hooping is addictive and contagious and the community is always growing! There is probably a gathering happening at least once a month, where hoopers get together and find a cause to hoop. Whether this is a festival, workshop, or just a plain ol’ hoop jam in the park.

Ask a hooper

t They are the friendliest people around, I promise! Most of the time, if you ask a hooper how she learned how to hoop, she will give you as much detail as possible. It’s always an honor to pass the hoop love on to a newbie.

Watch YouTube

t There are plenty of tutorials online that can teach you almost anything you need to know. Believe it or not, most hoopers have used online video to learn at least one trick that’s up their sleeves. To be honest, it’s hard to learn any and every trick in a class. Therefore, you see a move that you want to do, and then you look for it on YouTube. The biggest challenge there is just figuring out what the name of the move is!

Buy a hoop!

t The greatest step in starting to hoop is to, well, buy one! It may be harder than you think, as it’s not ideal to buy a regular kids’ hoop at any old store. You want to do some research and find a handmade hula-hoop either in your town, or online. Sites like Etsy have plenty of beginner hoops to order and start your spin journey right away!