Learn to hula hoop

As a personal trainer, I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity per day, outside of the things you do to support your life -- working, mowing the lawn, cleaning, running errands, etc. Weight resistance, either from added weights or bodyweight training, should be done several days a week. Walking is great exercise that can be done daily, and don't forget about flexibility during your cool down phase.

It doesn't need to be all "work" though... I advocate play as part of your exercise time. If you've spent enough time on this site, you know that I talk a lot about hula hooping. I'm a certified Hoopnotica instructor in Metro Detroit, and I lead classes in hoopdance. The certified part means that I've been through trainings that provided me with the language and techniques I use to teach students how to keep a hoop moving around their bodies. It's fun, it's effective and it's for you. Intrigued?

Here now, is a quick video that gives you the basics of waist hooping, as led by Hoopnotica's lead Master Trainer, Jacqui Becker. These skills and more are what I teach in my classes in West Bloomfield and Farmington. Check out the Classes tab for days and times!

Get thee to a hoop class

By now, you may have seen people hooping at concerts, in the park, on the Internet, in magazines and on national television, etc. Isn't it time you tried it yourself? New hoop classes are starting now in Farmington and West Bloomfield! Visit my classes page http://moxie-personal-training.blogspot.com/p/hoop-classes.html to choose your dates and hop on a fitness trend that's fun and effective! I will be happy to help you choose a hoop size that works best for you in class... who knows, eventually you may want one for yourself... hooping can be addictive :-)

Keep Fit over the Fourth!

Moxie's hoop classes are on break for the holiday. In the meantime, we bring you an exercise from Hoopnotica's Fit program. Lead Master Trainer Jacqui Becker demonstrates the lunge, within your hoop.

Hoopnotica says Good Morning to America

 Hoopnotica appeared on Good Morning America to demonstrate basic waist hooping and share with everyone how Kelly Osbourne and many others, have lost weight and found a fitter self by hooping! If you missed it, watch here.

Our beloved exercise activity is catching on, but I have been teaching hooping to fun seekers in the Farmington area for two years.

I do not kid when I say everyone can hoop. The basic skills are very accessible, and I have had a 100% success rate in teaching people how to keep the hoop rotating. Some tips for success are:
* Proper body position. Head up, chest back, pelvis tucked, knees soft.
* Proper movement. Contrary to what we think, waist hooping is not circular. We push forward and pull back, propelling it with our legs, and keeping "core" engaged.
* Toy hoops are too small. We use adult hoops. The larger the hoop, the slower it goes, and the easier it is to keep the hoop moving. When you come to my class, you will be matched with a hoop size that works for you.
* Body hugging clothes made of cotton help keep the hoop up. Avoid baggy or shiny clothing.
* Practice and patience. You will burn calories, work up a sweat and have fun doing it, so don't worry about anyone else, or your own imperfections at the start.

Trust me. I couldn't hoop as a kid, and I took the bold step of trying a hoop one day in a store, walked out with it, and three lessons later, I was at my first teacher training. I was in the room with hoopers who had skills beyond me, and I wasn't sure I was in the right place, but the Jacqui Becker in this video was one of the trainers leading that training, and she was gentle and kind. My enthusiastic spirit was admired and I was given the guidance and nurturing I needed... from Jacqui, by another master trainer Jocelyn and Shavonne, my mentor. I completed my teacher training within 6 months and gained not only the physical skills, but also saw what a warm, nice community hooping is.

There is no judging in my class. Just fun, play and laughter. As adults, we go to WORK. And then we do houseWORK. Some of you help your kids with their schoolWORK or perhaps even your own. Hopefully you even do your WORKout. But why so much work? I think we forget how to play. Hooping is an effective exercise, and it is also a way to play and find that youthful spirit again. Children stay fit by playing and doing sports. So why can't you?

The following clip shares Jacqui Becker's viewpoint on how Hoopnotica breaks down the skills and takes the mystery out of it, enabling everyone to learn to hoop.

Looking for a hoop class?

Yes, I teach hoop classes. Here's one: Wednesday nights in Wixom, at the community center. See my Hoop Classes page for info and the registration link! By the time the weather warms up, you'll have the skills to show your stuff off in the park (an improved physique and skill).

How to succeed at your goals for the new year

 You have to start. Now.

How many times have you told a friend "we should get together sometime" but you never get around to it? How often do you see an article about something new to try and think "I should try that" but you never do it? Does the someday ever arrive? No, it doesn't arrive, because you don't MAKE it arrive.

Have you found that, if you ever get around to doing what you planned, that it's not available anymore? It could be sold out, person could have moved out of state, the activity could be booked, or... perhaps it could be discontinued or canceled due to too many people who think they'll "do it one day" but don't, and if everybody thinks about it but nobody does it, it can't exist.

These are hypothetical scenarios, examples to jog your memory if this is you. But truly, something very real is at stake here. The Metro Detroit community could be abundantly full of ongoing hoop fitness classes... of all levels and types... classes for dance, classes for fitness. It could be like Pilates, yoga or Zumba -- most studios and facilities have classes you can just jump into.

However, it can be a challenge getting classes full or even started, which is ironic because hooping is the perfect exercise... doesn't seem like exercise but it is and how many people try to avoid exercise? Hooping is also accessible to everyone, regardless of childhood experience. Certified instructors have the language to provide you with tips on getting the most out of your learning, and performers can inspire you with their beautiful dance. So it's baffling why potential students would stand by, and think about it, or attend class and enjoy it but disappear. Without the support of the community, organized hoop classes could disappear.

You want to attend a class? Do it. Sign up today. Stop waiting and start hooping. Be part of a growing movement and bring your friends. We love everyone! 

The next piece of this is yourself. By taking no action... whether it be waiting for a better day, or unsure how you'd do in an exercise program, etc... you guarantee the failure. You're a success when you get started. That's the hard part. After a point, you keep it going because you recognize how great you feel. Maybe you see that the weight training tones your muscles so your body comp improves and changes how everything fits, for the better. Or new confidence is developed because you're learning a hooping skill or lifting a certain amount of weight better than the week before, or enduring a longer time in cardio exercise. 

Do you have moxie?

Wednesday Night Hoopy Hour begins this week in Wixom

Just a quick announcement to share that my new hoop class is starting on Wednesday, January 9. Class is from 6:10-7:10pm. No experience is necessary, but if you have Hoopnotica level 1 experience, come hone your skills or accept challenges I throw your way. Goal is to gain the skills needed to dance with the hoop. Along the way, we have fun and get fit! Check out Hoopnotica.com or my previous blog posts to learn how hooping has helped people to lose weight. It's true.

Registration is through City of Wixom parks and recreation. Contact them today to register. Don't wait! Recreation guide is available by clicking here.

A Growing Trend in Exercise -- Hooping

Every day people do it. The First Lady does it. Overweight people do it and shrink themselves, changing their lives for the better. Adults do it. People who couldn't do it as kids.... they do it.

What is it? It's hooping. As exercise. As fun. As play. As something to do while watching TV, sending email, thinking, or getting lost in the moment. And it's spreading. You're going to be surprised. Everyone can learn to hoop, when given a size that fits and instruction that works. Try it and be the first to tell your friends.

Proof of its rise and accessibility is everywhere. See a recent New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/fashion/hula-hooping-is-a-trend-thats-getting-around.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

It's fun, it's aerobic

Veteran hula-hoopers have long stood by its aerobic virtues. “A lot of people are interested in hooping for its health benefits, which might get them hooked, but it’s also such a fun way to do cardio,” said Bex Burton, a hula hoop instructor who founded Sense of Motion, a Brooklyn-based company that teaches hula-hooping, Pilates and yoga.

 It's not about being perfect

“One of my constant quotes in class is if you’re giggling, you’re doing it correctly,” Mr. Pildes said. “It’s not about how graceful you are, or what trick you can do. It’s about finding the joy in your workout.”

What do you have to lose? Don't wait. Classes are here. I teach in the Farmington area at Dancing Feats. New single-day workshops in December on Wednesday nights, 7:30pm. Details coming soon. In the meantime, you can create a class of your own at the above link. I can also come to your home, or workplace. Message me for specifics on your class.  

Easy lifestyle change -- join a hoop group

Good news for people who wanted an evening class time! I am offering a 7:30pm hoop group on Wednesday nights, beginning in September. Tuesday nights at 7pm are an option - contact me. Space will be limited, so register early.

It will be a series that runs 6 weeks at a time, and continues through the end of January, so if a make-up session is needed, I will allow that. Cost per series is $51. The first series will begin September 19 and run through mid October. Small class size will ensure you get all the help and motivation you need.

Come in to the studio, where you can learn and practice hooping without concerns over moving furniture, weather, obligations, etc. It's just your time to play!

I have been to Allegan and Algonac, two Michigan cities where there is a strong hooping community. Come build with me a community in the Farmington area! Many people have found that hooping not only changes their bodies, but their lives as well. Some have been trained to teach hooping, others have found confidence in themselves and everyone has made friends and expanded their social circles. There are meetups around the state and country where fellow hoopers gather to play in a park, dance in a parade, or camp and hoop for the weekend... families included. The fun and fitness reach beyond the studio. I teach hooping because it fits the message I promote, which is to make activity a part of your life. The lifestyle must change in order to encourage permanent health and weight change. With hooping, the transition to that is very enjoyable. You make time for it because it's so much fun... you want it to be part of your life.

Any questions before you register? Contact me here.

day and time

Wednesdays 7:30pm 9/19-10/24

Stay young with fitness

So many of the people I encounter wistfully recall their youthful days. They also say they could hoop with four hoops, put it around their neck, on the legs, etc. And then they say "Oh but I couldn't do that today."

They're putting an end to it without even giving themselves a chance.  We don't grow old because we grow up, we grow old because we stop playing.

Hoopdance classes are a fraction of the cost of a 1 oz jar of La Mer. The cream might help facial wrinkles, but hoopdance improves your body and makes you feel good inside. No cream can make you feel that way!

So I have a proposal for would-be hoopers. Take a look at this video of a Hoopnotica Master Trainer in London and see if you don't feel a little bouncier and willing to give it a try yourself. You can be the one to tell your friends how great it is!

For my hoopers who have learned the level 1 Hoopnotica moves, I give you this video from Hoopnotica, involving a new move building on the moves you already know. Play with it!

Personal Hoop Classes now available - It's all about you

I am pleased to draw upon my experience as a personal trainer and offer the hoop instruction in a personalized format. In so many aspects of our lives, we are asked to conform to a schedule or format that's already set for us and it's not always the best fit. Sometimes, it doesn't fit at all.

I want to say, it doesn't have to be that way.

For some people, trying something new may be embarrassing. Feeling silly among friends is one thing, but strangers? Not everyone makes fast friends. I walked out of a step class early in my workout days, because I couldn't follow the directional changes on and off the step. No one came to my aid and the instructor was oblivious in the large class. Among all of those strangers, I couldn't have felt more alone.

It doesn't have to be that way.

I'm offering small hoop groups that you create, with your own friends and family... or coworkers you're close to. Fun and silliness among familiar faces. I don't let students suffer in silence. If there is a struggle, I'm right there to help and offer a solution. No one is going to leave class without achieving some success among the skills. If you don't have a circle of friends or need more privacy, private and semi-private hoop lessons are available. In either case, we work together to choose a day of the week, the time, and even location. Travel charges may apply, but I will visit outside my general area, too. Choose the length of your series, and class format, and you've built yourself a custom class.

The benefit to being a group leader is discounted class tuition, or your very own private lesson where the whole hour is all about you. How often can we claim an hour for ourselves???

By doing so, you've taken a step for yourself toward fun, fitness and health. How's that for charting your own destiny?

Visit my hoop class page here.

It's Hoopy Hour in Farmington

Mark your calendars and stop by to see us on Saturday, July 21 from 2:30-3:30pm. I will be at Dancing Feats in downtown Farmington to raise my hoop and celebrate all that is fun and good about hula hooping today.

Maybe you've seen Youtube videos of people hooping, or caught a morning talk show and heard of the incredible weight loss stories of hooping devotees. Or maybe you tried hooping as a kid and couldn't do it, and pushed it out of your mind forever.

I was one of those kids. But one day a few years ago, I gave it a try because I had the chance to do it with a really big hoop. Incredibly, it stayed up for a few spins and I was intrigued. So I signed up for classes. Before I knew it, I was a "hooper". And then I became a certified teacher.

 As an instructor, the number one comment I hear before people try it, is they can't hoop. That isn't true, and people who admire it and dismiss it because they think it isn't possible are missing out on all the wonderful benefits of this activity.

Treadmills don't make you laugh, unless something on the TV monitor (there to distract you from the boredom of walking or running in the same spot for an hour) is funny. But you giggle while learning to hoop, and you hoot with excitement when you accomplish a hooping skill because that was so much fun, and you laugh aloud at the joy of it all when you lose yourself in a hoopdance, skills learned.

So on Saturday July 21 at 2:30, I welcome you to stop in and give it a whirl. You will see the difference. It's in the size of the hoop. The larger they are, the slower they go, the easier it is to power the hoop with the instructions we give you. These are not child hoops from the drug store. They are adult hoops, and I have them in a few sizes, and I will demonstrate what modern hooping is all about. There will be instruction and information on classes and a prize drawing from all entries returned... the winner's choice of a custom hoop OR private lesson.

Hoopy Hour is during Farmington's Founders Festival but not a part of it, though I can think of no better way to play and celebrate! No charge to participate, no purchase required to enter the drawing. Take a break from your Saturday and see what it's all about!