Where can you hoop?

Take your hoop on a hike with you.

Family fitness! You can hoop with the kids.

You can hoop at the park with other hoopers.

You can hoop in the snow.

You can hoop on a Florida beach.

It doesn't matter what you wear.

Dance wherever it moves you... even in a movie theater.

Eiffel for hooping as fitness. Will you?

You can rock it out in a canyon.

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?

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.  

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!

How to get what you want

Everything in life involves an amount of risk.

If we want something, it doesn't usually fall into our hands. Sometimes we have to take a step beyond what we think is possible in order to attain it. That puts us into vulnerable and uncomfortable situations. It might be, that someone might see us exercise and sweat and if we're usually in a position of power, it might alarm us to appear weak or on the same level as everyone else. Or maybe we expect perfection of ourselves all of the time and so learning a new skill is unfamiliar and are able to convince ourselves that we can't do it. Or sometimes, we just feel in over our head.

It's all about perception and perspective.

I went to a hooping retreat to expand my hooping horizons, open up and explore hooping from a personal view rather than a professional one. I enjoy the outdoors, love to hike and go on trails, etc. I camp but I've always camped where there are brick and wood shower facilities with electricity and full plumbing. Before the retreat I tried to find out more details about the camping and what my environment was going to be like, and didn't get very detailed answers. I resolved to just go with the flow, because that seemed to be in the spirit of the event.

When I arrived, I saw that it was indeed rustic, the showers were co-ed and in a tent structure with very creative hose design. I was dependent upon the event organizers for food and water since it was provided. I was at the mercy of the weather. I was the "new kid" who had never been to a hooping retreat. I saw hoopers who seem natural born dancers and so engaged with their body to the point of letting a lot of it show. I don't hide in sweats, I allow my fitness to show, but some take it to the next level. First impression: OMG.

And so, I was vulnerable. As the weekend continued though, I allowed my experiences to open me, to guide me in a new growth. That is how you get what you want. You need to reach for it. Take it, don't wait for it to come to you. It is not easy or comfortable. I'm here to help you through that.

As a trainer and hoop instructor, I often hear various explanations for the lack of action toward what people want:

"Oh I can't hoop. I could never as a kid."  (Did you try first before making that judgement? Today?)

"I don't know why I ate this! I feel so bad for eating this." (There is no good or no bad, just your next action in the direction that achieves what you want. And if you haven't finished eating the "bad" thing, you can stop -- it's ok.)

"I don't have time to exercise." (Do you watch any TV? You have time to exercise.)

"I can't afford a membership/classes/training." (Do you eat out multiple times during the week or get a daily coffee? It all adds up. Skipping it and preparing meals from home not only saves you money to put toward fitness, it also cuts back on restaurant calories. And park walks are free...)

Quite often, we're the ones in the way of getting what we want. There are many reasons why your plan may be on pause, this is by no means a complete list -- rather by popular example. It's a start to the dialogue though, and when I meet clients for the first time we talk through what is holding them back. No judgement, just encouragement. Release, let go of the "I can'ts" and "I don'ts" and allow yourself to "see where this goes".

You'll probably find yourself on the path to getting what you want.

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!

Summertime, and the people go hooping

If you've been thinking about it, now is the time! Hoop classes starting up June 19 in downtown Farmington. Registration info here and online payment and class descriptions are found on the classes page here.

Welcome back to those who have discovered the joy of hooping already, and a warm welcome to people experiencing for the first time how great it is to play like a kid again, and get fit in the process!

Lighting the way

LED hooping lights up your workout in a way machines can't.

The news on hooping continues to be very positive in terms of weight loss results and exercise compliance. It's pretty simple. If it's fun and you enjoy it, you'll do it. The more you do it, the more active you are, the more weight you can lose. In its place, you gain a new perspective on yourself.

If you want to try it, or if you're thinking about starting an exercise program, today is always the best choice. By putting it off, something likely gets in the way. There's a simple message in the iconic sportswear slogan: Just do it. They're so right.

Be part of your hooping community. Participate in classes at your studios and community centers and join "jams" in local parks. Hooping is very much a growing, grass roots-type movement. Nurture it, help it to grow and it will pay you back in mind, body and spirit. Light the way for others to join you!

A fellow instructor and I will be lighting the stage on May 19 (2pm Mercy High School, Farmington Hills) with our hoopdance number in Positive Attitude Dance Academy's spring recital. Come out and see our illuminated hoops in motion... fueled by our abdominals, quads, lats, deltoids, etc.

I will be teaching a sampler class on Friday May 11 from 7:30-9pm. There will be a 30 minute session on waist hooping basics which will give participants time to practice the movement before we incorporate it into a "Fit" segment for 30 minutes. HoopnoticaFit uses traditional cardio class cuing and bodyweight movements in tandem with the hoop to create a fun workout that's customizable for many fitness levels. The final 30 minutes will be spent introducing students to the first moves of hoopdance, known as HoopnoticaFlow. The elements are skills to practice and master, and then put together in one movement to the next, creating a flow and dance... and ultimately reshaping your body while the minutes and hours tick away, unnoticed. This is why so many people get hooked on hooping and become obsessed "hoopers". It's a good obsession.

I am teaching the class for CC Plus dance, fun and fitness based in Mt. Clemens. The class will be at their new studio, CC Plus @ The Center. For more information go to http://www.ccplusdance.com/index.html.

Meanwhile, follow this blog for updates and additions to Moxie's hooping class schedule and if you want to get started right away, private lessons are available.

The decision that changed her life

Jen Moore -- Hoopnotica Master Trainer, Rochester, NY

One of my fellow Hoopnotica-certified instructors (now Master Trainer) is a great example of how hooping can help you to lose weight and reshape your body and in effect, reshape your life. She lost over 40 pounds in her first 3 months of learning to hoop with the Hoopnotica DVDs. During her weight loss she committed herself to the teacher training program so she could share hooping with others. Overall, she lost 140 pounds. Her husband lost over 100 pounds. Hooping! So true. They both teach, their young daughter hoops, and they have a successful business. They are setting a beautiful example for their children, especially when childhood obesity is such a concern. I am hoping the Moore family will begin to represent normal FIT America, rather than being an exception. I share the link to her story with you because it fits with the Moxie Personal Training message that anything is possible when you set your mind and body to do it! To believe in the power of that choice to change your life today. She shares a great story with us but the pictures alone say a lot. This is what hooping can do for you. Or anything that you do with great frequency. Hooping is effective because it's not your traditional grunt workout, so it's more enjoyable for more people, for longer periods of time, more frequently. That frequency is going to get you results. On top of frequency, you have the intensity which can be controlled with your hooping speed and types of moves, and duration.... round and round the hoop goes, nobody knows where the time goes....

While I don't have the weight loss story in common with Jen, I had my own epiphany with the hoop. My core business is personal training -- hard work like treadmills and weight lifting -- but I liked how group exercise instructors can motivate whole rooms of people to move. In a culture of quick food and conveniences, there are a lot of people who need encouragement to move. I was pondering how I could reach larger groups of people, when I fell into the hoop in April of 2010 after trying the Hoopnotica travel hoop at my local Lucy store. That May, after just 3 classes with my instructor Shavonne, I attended a teacher training among people who looked like veterans in the hoop, doing things my instructor could do. I was asked to practice teach a move in front of the group and despite my newness, I got up and did it. I passed the exam and throughout the summer and fall I practiced and improved my hooping skills, continuing to go to weekly hooping class, which was so fun! In December 2010, I received my teacher certificate for Level 1 and began teaching in 2011! I couldn't hoop as a kid. I'm not a comfortable dancer outside of the hoop. But with it, I am transformed. I can hoop, you can hoop. Just as Jen Moore built up her community of hoopers in her area of New York and is changing lives and having fun, it is my goal to have a similar effect here in Metro Detroit. Hooping is accessible, it is fun, it is affordable, it is here, and I am so excited to share it with my community.

Read about Jen here:
The decision that changed her life part 1

The decision that changed her life part 2