The Hula-Hoop, which became popular in the 1950s, is re-emerging as a hot trend in weight loss, a study says.

“Hooping” expends the same amount of energy as walking 4 to 4.5 mph — enough to help a person firm up and slim down, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. “It’s becoming a popular form of choreographed group exercise,” said John Porcari, of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the study’s author.

The study examined 16 women, ages 16 to 59, who regularly attended choreographed hooping classes. The researchers measured their oxygen consumption, heart rate and physical exertion as they completed a 30-minute video-led hooping class.

The average heart rate was 151 beats per minute, and the average caloric expenditure was 210 calories. The exercise was enough to help people control their body weight, the study said.

Fat Thanks to Sunita K. for the tip!

Hula-Hoop re-emerging as a new weight-loss tool – Chicago Sun-Times