Lori Lynn, the 51-year-old owner of Hoop Appeal, a Hamilton-based company that offers classes and workshops across Canada, was a former gymnast who found herself nursing various injuries. Then she turned to hooping six years ago when activities like Zumba and kick-boxing proved too strenuous for her. After only a month, she’d lost 20 pounds, and best of all she told TheSpec, was that “It feels like you’re hanging out with friends.” You don’t have to tell that to Mandy Harvey, 35, either. After years of being dedicated to attending aerobics classes, she signed up for a weekly hooping class in 2008 and was shocked by the intensity of the workout. In 2011, four months after becoming an instructor at Toronto’s Well-Rounded Hoops, Harvey realized she’d lost 25 pounds. “The only change was adding that one extra class,” she says. “It’s a community social-type of fitness. Because it’s fun, time flies really quickly in class. You don’t have the tendency to watch the clock.” Accessibility is another reason people keep coming back. Both Lynn and Harvey say their classes are diverse, attracting male and female hoopers ranging in age from 20 to 70. With high, low and moderate-impact classes, you can pick the level that works for you, just like you can pick the perfect hoop.
