A common challenge for new hula hoopers is figuring out the right hula hoop size and weight. Hula hooping is a fun and dynamic form of physical activity that people of all ages enjoy. The size and weight of your hoop can affect the type of movement and style of hooping, as well as the muscle activation and cardiovascular benefits. In order to determine the best weight for a hula hoop, it is important to consider your level of fitness, experience with hula hooping, as well as your fitness goals. What is the best weight for a hula hoop? Keep reading to find out!
Hula Hoopers Don’t Give Up!
Have you ever picked up and hoop and tried to spin it around your waist only for it to fall down? I’m raising both arms right now?. I think that every hula hooper who has ever lived has had this experience. The sad truth is that many a promising hooping career has probably ended with that moment. Our hoop comes crashing to the ground and we think, “I feel silly for even trying.” Or “I’m probably too old for this anyways.” Others think, “I’m probably not meant to be a hula hooper.” I thought, “What the Heck am I thinking? It’s impossible for me to learn all of those cool and sexy hooping moves!”
I’ve had these thoughts many times, but I’m so thankful that I didn’t allow the doubts to discourage me from trying again. I would have missed out on the greatest physical and mental transformation in my life. And this is only the beginning!
*Spoiler alert* The size (diameter), material, and weight of your hoop can make or break your experience.
Become a hula hooper! It could change your whole life.
Of course I’m biased and I’m so proud of it too. I fondly remember when my mentor, Bee Varga first told me that I was a hula hooper and could become a specialist. I couldn’t believe that I could become a specialist, but I loved the way it sounded. And the fact that Bee believed in me helped me to believe in myself too. It’s all about your mindset. If you commit to even just hooping for 5 minutes a day, embrace the journey, then gradually add more time; it can improve your life for the best.
6 months into my journey, while I was struggling to learn the elbow pass a fellow hooper (we shall call her O) in our amazing hooping studio community shared a video of her nailing that elbow pass. Please treat yourself, click on this link, and join Bee Varga’s Hooping Studio. Your wellness is the ultimate investment. I felt SO inspired from seeing her journey and it gave me hope that I could learn the elbow pass too. When I commented to thank her for sharing and told her about how I’m currently trying to learn this move O said:
Hula Hoopers Don’t Give Up!
O from Bee’s Hooping Studio
If something doesn’t work out, pivot and try a different route!
That was a pivotal moment for me in my journey. I’m not sure if she understands the significance of her words, but from that point on I felt like I really belonged to something. I was now a “Hula Hooper” and hula hoopers don’t give up! Sometimes I still drop my hoop and struggle with new moves and when I do I remind myself that “Hula Hoopers don’t give up.” Just wanted to share that with you. They are powerful words that I refer to often when I’m going through challenges (even non-hoop related challenges.)
The material, size, and weight of your hoop matters
I’m saying all of this because hooping takes some doing… It doesn’t happen overnight and it can be challenging to learn new skills. However, I promise you that it is all worth-it and if you’re consistent, your hard work will pay off! I love the fact that it’s so easy to get started and you can hoop anywhere. You don’t need a fancy gym membership or fancy clothes and gear. Just a good hoop. I also have some good news for you. Your hoop was dropping because it was probably too light and too small and not the proper size for you. This can be fixed!
If you have fitness goals or just want to get the hoop to spin, the size and weight of your hoop can have a direct effect on your experience.
The best hoop for beginners is a large and slightly weighted dance hoop
If you have a small and lightweight hoop as a beginner, it can be nearly impossible to start because the hoop will spin super fast. When you’re starting out, you can never have a hoop that is too large. In fact, bigger is better, diameter wise. It’s a different story when you’re considering the weight of your hula hoop.
Can a hoop be too heavy?
Dumbbell rules don’t apply to hula hoops
I think that the fitness industry has made things a little confusing. When you lift weights, it’s true that you need progressive overload to improve and grow your muscles. To accomplish this, you add weight with time. The market is starting to push hoops that are as heavy as 10 pounds and this can be dangerous for users.
Some people think that a heavier hoop will help you lose more weight or help you get fitter, but the harsh reality is that it can lead to injuries. Keep in mind that the market is after our money and they don’t care about the negative repercussions. Furthermore, hoops that are excessively heavy can cause severe bruising on the hips and abdomen and can also damage internal organs.
You should never get a hoop that is heavier than 1-2 lbs. Anything beyond that is unnecessary and risky.
Which hula hoop should you choose?
The type of hula hoop you choose, depends on your goals and your size. What are your fitness goals? Do you want to have fun and feel good? Do you want to sculpt an hourglass figure and change your physique? Are you hoping to improve your cardiovascular health? Or maybe you want to build muscle mass and look bulky and strong. Are you just interested in tricks like hand tricks, poi moves, and juggling? Is your life stressful and do you need a good creative outlet to let out some steam? Do you hope to improve your flexibility and mobility? There’s a hoop for all of that!
The different kinds of hoops that we shall cover today are:
- Toy shop hoops / Small Hoops
- Weighted hula hoops
- Dance Hoops: Polypro, HDPE, and PE
- Wooden hoops
- Metal hoops
Toy Shop Hoops / Small Hoops
These are the hoops that you can find in the toy aisle or even your local dollar store. A toy hoop is too light and too tiny for fitness hooping. It travels around the body too fast and will quickly drop. However, these hoops work well as training tools for hand moves, foot hooping, and tosses.
Good for: Learning hand tricks, arm hooping, foot hooping, neck hooping, twins / poi moves.
Bad for: Chest, shoulder, waist, hips, and leg hooping. The hoop will fall down.
What does a weighted hula hoop do?
A weighted hula hoop differs from a traditional hula hoop in that it is heavier and typically weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. This added weight provides additional resistance as the hoop is spun. As a fitness enthusiast you probably already know that you need to continually push yourself in your workouts to progress. For example, when you lift dumbbells, you reach for heavier weights as you get stronger. With this in mind, it would be easy to think that a heavier hula hoop would help us get fitter and deliver better results.
A hula hoop is the opposite of dumbbells when it comes to weight.
With hula hoops it is the exact opposite of dumbbells. The heavier a hula hoop is, the easier it is to keep it going. The lighter the hoop, the harder it is to keep going. Weighted hula hoops are covered in layers of spongy foam. This serves as an effective shock absorber. The whole point of a hula hoop is to get a bit “beat up.” That way you can feel your muscles contract wherever the hula hoop travels. The spongy covering wrapped around weighted hula hoops interferes with this beneficial impact. As a result, you will miss out on a firm toning massage AND build bulk.
Weighted hula hoop reminders:
- Heavier is not better.
- Weighted hoops do not improve cardiovascular fitness in the long run.
- Like a dumbbell, this heavier hoop will add muscle mass.
- You will look strong, but also thick.
- This hoop will not sculpt an hourglass waist.
- It may work well for men who want to look strong and add muscle mass to that area.
Even professional hula hooper, Bee Varga, says that she has never owned a weighted hula hoop. She also thinks that this type of hoop probably wasn’t designed by a hula hooper. It will not offer many benefits once you can keep your hoop spinning.
Can be used for: General fitness and hula hoop workouts. Walking with your hoop.
Not good for: Hoop tricks, off body, or hooping any place that is not the waist and hips. Weighted hoops are NOT suitable for children.
Dance Hula Hoops
- Polypro is the lightest
- HDPE is heavier
- P.E. is the heaviest and commonly used for beginner dance hoops
What are dance hoops made of?
When you are learning the basics of hooping, it is super helpful to have a hoop with a large diameter and slightly heavier material. Adult beginner dance hoops are typically made from 3/4″ diameter 100 PSI PE tubing. The tubing is heavy enough for beginners, but hoopers of all levels can enjoy this kind of hoop. You don’t need anything heavier than 1-2 lbs. These hoops also have grip tape which is essential to keep the hoop from slipping.
In the world of dance hoops there are Polypro hoops, HDPE, and P.E hoops. Both Bee and I don’t use polypro hoops for our training. Bee has performed and taught with polypro, but she doesn’t use them because her goals are fitness and physique driven. She sticks with HDPE and wooden hoops. My favorite hoops are PE and HDPE hoops and I’m dreaming of the day that I can get a set of wooden hoops.
At this point, it is important for you to consider your personal goals. What do you hope to accomplish during your hooping journey? Polypro is better for tricks and HDPE / PE is better for fitness.
What is a Polypro Hoop?
Polypro is a nickname for polypropylene (PP) which is the type of plastic that this hoop created with.
- These hoops are usually lighter than fitness hoops and HDPE hoops
- Polypro comes in a wide plethora of colors. You can probably find a polypro in any color that you can think of!
- Great for off-body tricks, tosses, and juggling
- You can do on-body moves with polypro too, but I recommend getting a large hoop because it moves quickly
- If you go polypro, grab some grip tape!
I treat my polypro hoops the same way that I treat my small / toy hoops. They are learning tools that work well for:
- Hand moves
- Arm tricks
- Hooping around the limbs, but not the core and trunk
- Learning leg hooping
- Practicing foot hooping
HDPE or P.E.
You can also get a dance hoop made from HDPE. Know that HDPE hoops are more lightweight and move faster. Last winter, I ordered a 33″ 3/4 HDPE hoop and noticed that it is significantly lighter than my other hoops, but not as light as my polypro hoop. This HDPE hoop has become my favorite hoop to use when I am practicing any kind of toss, isolations, single leg hooping, and foot hooping. If I wanted an HDPE hoop for my workouts, I would choose a larger diameter (around 38″ – 42″.)
Specifically HDPE tips
If your goal is to hula hoop to get fit and change your physique, then Bee recommends a 25mm. or 20mm. thick HDPE hoop.
- 25 mm. hoops for workouts and conditioning
- 20 mm. for stage and performance
The size and weight of your hoop REALLY matters
The weight of the hoop can affect the type of movement and style of hooping. Lighter weight hoops are more suitable for off-body hooping, while heavier hoops are better for on-body hooping. The weight of the hoop can also affect the speed at which the hoop can be moved, with lighter hoops allowing for faster spinning. A larger, slower-spinning hoop is best for beginners.
As a beginner hooper, we usually start with a thicker hoop that is large in diameter. As we become fitter and more proficient, we can transition to a smaller hoop for a challenge. Most of the hula hoop seller websites say that when your hoop is placed in front of your body in an upright position, the top of your hoop should reach your belly button. Is this true? In reality, your height doesn’t have anything to do with your shape (when it comes to finding a properly fitting hoop.)
A bigger hula hoop will make your learning experience better. This is because the hoop will move slower and will give your body enough time to figure things out.
Choose your Dance Hoop Diameter based on your dress size:
| Dress Size: | XS, Small | Medium | Large, XL, XXL |
| Metric: | 81 – 91 cm. | 91 – 101 cm. | 101 – 111 cm. |
| Inches: | 32 – 36 inch. | 36 – 40 inch. | 40 – 44 inch. |
Choosing my hoop diameter based on this chart made all the difference in the world! When I purchased my first (and last) polypro hoop, I followed the chart on the seller’s website. As a result, I was so disappointed. They based their chart on height and the bellybutton to the ground rule. I am 4’11” and the diameter that was recommended based on that chart was 30″ To this day, I can’t effectively spin that hoop around my waist. I don’t even use it for anything else because it is so light. It can be fun to toss and practice juggling with because it is springy, but that’s about it. I think that I would have had a better experience if I had chosen the hoop based on dress size. If I had, I would have bought a 42 inch hoop with grip tape. Lesson learned. I still plan on sticking with HDPE.
What Is The BEST WEIGHT For A HULA HOOP?
Professional Hula Hooper, Bee Varga will talk about the best weight for a hula hoop in the video below!
Let’s talk about hula hoop materials:
The material a hula hoop is made with makes a difference.
- Plastic is the “best” and the most accessible. This includes: PE, HDPE, and Polypro.
- Wooden hula hoops are better for the planet.
- Wooden and metal hula hoops are Very firm and will beat you up. These materials are NOT beginner friendly because they will cover you in bruises when you first start using them. With consistency and practice, your skin and body will acclimate.
- HDPE and PE hoops may cause some bruising in the beginning, but those bruises are nothing compared to wooden and metal hoops.
- Metal and wooden hoops are for the “no-pain, no gain” guys and girls.
Let’s tie it all together
For beginners, it is beneficial to start with a large, lightly weighted dance hoop. A large dance hoop spins slower and allows for easy manipulation and control of the hoop. This will allow the individual to learn proper technique and form. It can also reduce the risk of injury and make it easier to maintain momentum while hooping. As the individual becomes more experienced and comfortable with hula hooping, they may choose to shrink the size of the hoop for a greater challenge and to increase muscle activation.
Studies have shown that using a weighted hula hoop can result in increased muscle activation in various muscle groups. For example, a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found that using a weighted hula hoop resulted in a significant increase in muscle activation in the rectus abdominis, obliques, and gluteus maximus. This suggests that using a weighted hula hoop can be an effective form of exercise for individuals looking to increase muscle strength and tone.
5 Hula Hoop buying tips:
- Select your hoop based on your dress size. See the chart above.
- What are your hula hoop goals? Are you using the hula hoop for fitness or just for fun? Heavier hoops are best for fitness, while lighter ones are great off body tricks and tricks around the limbs.
- Consider the material of the hula hoop: Weighted hoops that have the layers of foam are not beneficial because the layers serve as shock absorbers and take away benefits. Polyethylene hula hoops are lighter, HDPE is a little heavier, PE hoops are even heavier. Wooden and Metal hoops are the heaviest and are for more experienced hoopers.
- Try different hoops: Try different hoops until you find a hoop that works best for you. I use different hoops for different purposes.
- Adjust as needed: Start with a larger hoop. As you improve, you may want to decrease the diameter and weight of your hula hoop. It’s okay to experiment until you find the right weight for you.
How to keep up a hula hoop? Let me help you start your hooping journey
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best weight for a hula hoop ultimately depends on your personal preferences and fitness goals. It’s important to experiment with different sizes and weights to find what feels comfortable and challenging. With the right weight, hula hooping can provide a fun, dynamic and effective form of physical activity that can improve overall health and well-being.
Hula hooping is not only beneficial for physical health, but also for mental well-being. The repetitive motion of hula hooping can be meditative and help reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, hula hooping is a low impact form of exercise, making it suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. It is also a fun and social activity that can be enjoyed with friends and family.
Overall, hula hooping can be a fun, effective, and versatile form of exercise that can provide a wide range of health benefits. With the right weight / size of hoop, it can be an even more effective workout that can target specific muscle groups and provide a good challenge.
Visit this link to start your journey today!
Thank you for joining me for today’s article. I hope it was helpful and please comment below with your questions.
See you soon!
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