Hula-Hoop could help shed unwanted pounds

The Hula Hoop, a large ring, which may be gyrated about the waist, has gained strong popularity in the 1950s and now appears, again as a hot trend in weight loss has occurred, has led to a new study.

“Hooping” spends as much energy as running 4 to 4.5 hours kilometers, enough for a company that will help people to lose weight, and, according to a press release of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). And "it's becoming a popular form of choreographed group exercise," study author John Porcari, of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said in the news release.

The study included 16 women aged 16-59 who have attended regular classes in tissues choreography. The researchers measured the women’s oxygen consumption, heart rate and physical effort that end a class of 30-minute video tour tissue.

The study found that the average heart rate for the 30-minute class was 151 beats per minute, and the average caloric expenditure was equivalent to 210 calories for 30 minutes of hooping. The total energy cost, the researchers revealed, was enough to help people control their body weight.

The findings were to be presented this week at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting, held in conjunction with the World Congress on Exercise Is Medicine, in Denver. Experts note that research presented at meetings isn't subjected to the same type of scrutiny given to research published in peer-reviewed journals.