Thursday, July 17, 2008

Hooping Challenges for the Mommas

Today HoopMamma procrastinated too long before beginning the 15 minute morning Hoop practice. By the time she stepped outside it was hot, and the front yard was directly in the sun. Tomorrow, HoopMamma will start earlier. 

It never fails; I pick up my beautiful, sparkly hoop- and my children abandon whatever they are doing and try to take it from me. Hooping is like a magnet for little kids. For this I offer a few remedies:



Whenever possible, arrange to have alone time for your hooping. Hooping=Happiness, Happier HoopMamma = Happier family.



Remember to use "Halo" and other upper body moves to your advantage when the kids are around. Making it play for them allows them to feel included. Let them run under the hoop; play "bridge".



Stop every once in a while to show them some love; drink some water, and really allow your hoopdance practice to become a part of your life together. Don't fight it (do remember to go back to your hooping, though).


Set up a distraction before beginning. Today I set up a small table outside in the shade where I could see them. I put out pens and paper, crayons, tape, etc. and let them go to town. I suggested that they draw pictures of people hooping in the sunshine. This bought me a good ten minutes!



I want to take a moment to address the "Hooping plateau". For me, after I had Illiana, I reached a plateau after losing 30 pounds (leaving me with 10 that I never really quite addressed). With my second baby Aliyah, I was "bored" with hoopdance. I hooped a little during my pregnancy, but not enough to really make a difference once the baby was born.

I really blame myself for this; thinking I knew everything, and that the things I didn't know were not worth learning anyways. So I avoided things like hooping in reverse and floor work. The fact is, I was avoiding the essence of what moves HoopMamma through plateaus: keeping it interesting; trying new things. The real beauty of hoopdance is that its not just how fast  you hoop that determines your calorie burn. Dropping your hoop and picking it up; exerting energy by trying new moves and using new muscles; and the determination to learn new tricks keeps us moving and motivated. 

Staying motivated can be a challenge. My commitment is to keep our new, growing community of MammaHoopers in the game. I will keep us inspired, just as your dedication has inspired me. 

Lets begin with why hooping in reverse is so important: ANAH (aka Hoopaliscious)




Watch this video and note the use of floorwork, reverse directions, and hoop speed. Watch the way she will stop her hips and keep the hoop moving on her upper body. Most importantly, how FREAKIN cool is that reverse move??!! Dontcha wanna do it??

To begin your path down the road to this level of hooping, start with the waist: Hoop for 3 revolutions in one way, then "catch the hoop", and reverse directions. Do this until it is comfortable. It is a simple move that is challenging and will get you back to that place where you are exercising and losing track of time. And thats what its all about, right? When you've mastered that (it might take a while, it might not), move on to your hips, theighs, and all the moves you know. People freak out when they see HoopMamma do this (and HoopMamma loves to make people freak out).



Next week we'll begin some floor work and address hoop speed. Until then, Happy Hooping, Mammas!

Thank You for this very special connection that we have and are building upon; to be strong mothers, inspirational role models, and damn sexy hoopers!

HoopMamma

5 comments:

Rebecca Stokes said...

Hi there! You have no idea how excited I was to stumble upon your blog today. After years of not exercising I finally found a sport that I adored and was getting good at - hoop dance! I was hooping for only 3 months when I learned that I was pregnant. I'm in my first trimester and morning sickness and overall aches and pains have kept me from my hoop. This saddens me because I know how good hooping is for me and how great I felt while I practiced and afterwards. Your blog has given me encouragement to hoop again, even if for just 5 minutes a day. So thanks for sharing your story. I look forward to reading more! And btw, I love my Hoopnotica travel hoop. It helped me learn how to hoop around my knees without too many bruises!

Rayna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rayna said...

Good Job, Mamma- getting that 5 minutes a day in is a GREAT feat in your first trimester! Even though I'm sure you feel like you'd rather camp out on the couch with some soda crackers and 7-up, getting even just a tiny bit of exercise in now keeps your blood circulating, and will overall help you move through this tough time! PLUS- because you learned how to hoop before you got prego, you'll be able to reap the benefits of of hooping throughout your pregnancy and post-partum. For now, make your travel hoop smaller, and practice halos and arm circles- keep it off your waist until you feel better!

~ g said...

oh, YEA!! I am glad I took time to come to the Hoopnotica website today...I have been busy doing home improvements and not online much lately....very odd for me, since I have a few "blah"gs (love that!!) and have several online buddies...I am "in training" to become a certified Hoopnotica instructor...ordered my Distance Training packet last month and I am bound & determined to bring this JOY to Texas...you are going to continue to be an inspiration to me, so keep this blog up, woman! I really knew nothing about you until today and I am truly amazed...Rayna is the only person I have had contact with...saw on GMA last year, happened to travel to LA 2 weeks later and took a lesson from her...also, just took her class here in Texas recently, too...reading your story just speaks volumes to me and motivates me like you have NO idea! The thoughts I have about my future...what I really SEE coming into my life as I continue to become a better hooper...it excites me! YES! I am into that Hippie Sh%$t, Law of Attraction and all that...it is for real and I know I found Hoopnotica for a reason...however, I was beginning to feel bad for breaking up my hooping into 15 minute segments, but now, you have made me realize it's OK! You see, I suffer from Vertigo, sometimes quite severe, but I am learning my limits and working around that...SOME hooping is better than NO hooping...and when I AM sick, it's OKAY...wellness will return...especially if I get inside my hoop for just a bit to get the blood flowing. You are SO right...it DOES give me energy AND get me "out of my head"...makes me FEEL better...thank you, thank you EVER so for being here, but more importantly, for starting such a wonderful company!! I look forward to getting to know you!

Rayna said...

Yea! Thank You SO much for all that feedback! We look forward to welcoming you into the Hoopnotica family, representin' TEXAS!