How the humble hula hoop can help Hongkongers get fit with fun
Emma Brown of Turning Circles talks about the benefits, for adults and youngsters alike, of taking up this simple childhood plaything and giving it a whirl
Remember the hula hoop from your childhood? It’s no longer just a children’s toy but a new, dynamic way to work out. So says Emma Brown, 30, a hula hooping aficionado who credits her toned physique to the unusual sport.
She had received a hula hoop as a wedding present six years ago and began playing with her new toy in her free time during a short stint living in Thailand. “I couldn’t have guessed then how that wedding present would go on to change my life,” she says.
After mastering the hoop, she began coaching friends and students at a local school where she was a teacher. When she moved to Hong Kong three years ago, she discovered a lack of “hooping” in the city and decided it was time to shake things up and follow her dreams.
A year ago she started a company Turning Circles, offering everything related to hula hooping: from classes (for children and adults) to performances, handmade hula hoops and more. “It’s amazing all the things you can do with a hula hoop,” she says, likening it to “a type of dance which is done with a hoop for a partner”.
“I googled it and found that a 30-minute hula hoop workout, consisting of hooping moves and twirling motions around the arms, waist, and legs, burns roughly seven calories per minute,” says Brown, who is originally from the United States.
She hoops whenever she can between hiking and yoga. “I think it’s so important to enjoy what you do for exercise. It makes such a big difference when you like exercise and look forward to it.”
