How your kid's crazy toy can be a fitness weapon

(FOX 2) - In 1963 the hula hoop swiveled its way into American culture, selling millions. And decades later the hula hoop is still gathering new fans. 

A hula hoop may seem like just a kid's toy, but the right hula hoop can actually be a fitness weapon. 

Sara Wood picked up her passion for hula hooping about three years ago.

"I immediately started noticing changes in my body after the first few months of doing it consistently. It's a really good ab workout, so I was feeling muscles that I never had before," she says. 

Sara now teaches a hula hoop fitness class, which starts with some very simple movements. To start, Sara instructs putting your feet hip-width apart and resting the hoop on your lower back. 

Once you get the hang of it, it can be pretty fun. You're burning calories and using muscles. But remember - you have to use the right hoop.

"I don't just use kids' hoops from the Dollar Store, I buy all my hoops online from special retailers that are designed for either fitness or for trick hooping. They're a special kind of plastic that is more reactive or heavier, depending on what kind of skill level you are," she says. 

Sara teaches a class at Anytime Fitness in Lake Orion. You can get more information online here
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