I've been hooping on and off for about 12 months now as part of my campaign to lose weight and keep fit. I am getting better at it, but I haven't yet plucked up the courage to hoop in public so this was a very hasty photo shoot staged about 2 metres from my front door. :) It was also (despite the sunshine) bitterly cold!
Yes, indeed. There was an item on the radio the other day about how awful it was that adults were behaving like children these days. Some psychologist had decided that it was a Bad Thing that grown women were wearing fake fur animal hats with ears or dressing in bobby socks with T-bar shoes and a skirt. He also criticised men for riding those scooters with little wheels and wearing super hero t-shirts.
And I just thought, what a killjoy! Why can't we still have fun as we grow old?
It's very trendy, apparently. Not that I'm trendy, you understand, but that's why hoops are on sale again.
There are lots of instructional videos on Youtube and it's not that difficult as long as you get the right size of hoop. It's a great workout for the whole body and it very quickly gets your heart rate up. The best thing as far as I'm concerned is that it doesn't need much space or expensive gym equipment.
Ha! You should have seen me last year when I first started. :) It does take practice, but these days there are lots of instructional videos on Youtube that have helped me learn some new moves.
I had a hula hoop during that first craze in the late 50s. I wasn't really much good then. I could keep the hoop going round my waist but never mastered any of the tricks. I was surprised how quickly the basic hooping came back, but this time I'm trying to extend my repertoire.
There are lots of instructional videos on Youtube and it's not that difficult as long as you get the right size and weight of hoop. It's a great workout for the whole body and it very quickly gets your heart rate up. The best thing as far as I'm concerned is that it doesn't need much space or expensive gym equipment.
Thanks. We're just on the edge of a very small town and there are so many trees around, to someone like me who grew up in an industrial northern city, it feels like living in a forest clearing. Unfortunately the sun was in the wrong place to show the distant hills properly (see icon), but you have to grab bright weather when you can here. It's grey again today.
It's certainly working well as a short sharp exercise routine that I can do on the days when I'm on the computer for most of the time. Thursday and Friday I walk a friend's dog, but I can go for several days without doing much outdoor exercise, especially when we get a week of solid rain.
Hooping quickly gets the heart rate up and it's low impact and works most of the body. Also you don't need much space or expensive equipment, so it works well for me. I do wish I had higher ceilings so I could practice the overhead moves, but that will have to wait for better weather and outdoor sessions.
Isn't it funny how it needs courage to do things like that in public? A child would never hesitate.
Also, interesting that the hoop appears to be "broken" at the far right. I'm guessing it was moving enough vertically that the light from the bush was able to dominate.
There is a very fine line for an adult. If you're hopeless, everyone thinks you're an idiot, if you're too good, everyone thinks you're a show off! At least that's how it seems to work in Britain, not sure about elsewhere. Meanwhile kids are just cute whether they're good or bad.
The hoop was probably wobbling the vertical plane. It's also partly bound with reflective tape that scatters the light. This may also have added to the illusion that it's broken.
Thank you. :) I've lost about 6lbs since last autumn and I'd like to lose another 5-6. If you look at me side-on, there's still a bit too much tummy! But I'm not too bothered if I stay at this weight as long as I can keep fit and keep moving.
Do you mean as a child? I had a hula hoop during that first craze in the late 50s. I wasn't really much good then. I could keep the hoop going round my waist but never mastered any of the tricks. I was surprised how quickly the basic hooping came back, but this time I'm trying to extend my repertoire.
Regarding my expression in the photos, this was the best of the three shots I had time for. When I'm taking self-portraits, I usually end up staring grimly at the camera because I'm watching the amber flashing light and wondering when it's going to take the shot! The pictures always come out better if I can make myself look somewhere else.
I must have been somewhere between 7 and 10 because I was still at primary school. That means it was around 1959-1962 when they reached Manchester. It was one of those huge crazes that sweep the country and then disappear.
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