hula hooping for happiness We all have our go-to habits that help us stay happy and hold on to that positivity in life. I don’t know about yours, but mine is hula hooping. I know a few people who have used it to get fit, lose weight etc., but for me it feels more like having a cup of strong dark coffee. Something that once you have it, you just calm down and are ready to take on the world. If I didn’t shimmy in the morning before work, I would feel like something is missing the entire day.

I started off with a wide and lightweight hoop, which bruised my waist in the beginning, but after a week or so, I was a master at it. I could hula hoop for one hour non-stop. Sometimes I would just stand there and wiggle my waist with my eyes closed, while at times I would dance like my life depended on it; while still hula hooping.

The reason I took up hula hooping in the first place was to tone my waist a little bit (I’m not sure if it worked), but after a month or two, I realized it was actually a form of relaxation for me. It felt therapeutic, and soon I forgot about my waist and how toned I wanted it to be, and focused more on how it made me feel; which is happy and positive.

After two years with the same hoop, I decided to change it to a weighted one, same circumference, just a little bit heavier than the first one. And as usual, I bruised my waist the first week and after that, it was a piece of cake. It also took more effort to twirl it, but sooner or later I got the hang of it, and off I went.

Although I use hula hooping to make me happy, you can use it to stay fit and happy at the same time. Apparently, when you hoop, you feel younger, stronger and more confident, which are brought on by a rush of endorphins in your brain. According to a wide array of studies, an increase of endorphins leads to less stress, less negativity and feelings of pain diminish.

In addition, hula hooping is fun! You can hoop around with your kids, friends or just about anyone. I cannot testify to its ability to give you some killer abs (because I incorporate other workouts), but I can surely say it’s a start.

You can pick up the habit as a way of having fun with your little ones, or like me, to tone your core area. And whatever benefits you get from the mighty hoop, including happiness and staying positive, you will know you did not do it for nothing, that I can guarantee.

Nowadays I have cut down my hooping to 3-4 times a week and it still gives me that rush. If you plan to start, you should watch out – It can be addictive (in a very beautiful way).

After all, there’s beauty in happiness!

XOXO