How Many Calories Can I Burn Hula Hooping?
February 10, 2010 in Mailbag
Hey Hooping.org -
I’ve been thinking lately about the various claims out there about how many calories hooping burns – one sees anywhere between 300 and 800 (!?) per hour. The upper echelon of the scale just seems way out-there to me — and what in the world are they basing it on? Any chance your detective skills and readers can get to the bottom of this for us all?
Love, Lara
Dear Lara,
How many calories an individual burns hula hooping will always be relative, but the scientific claim we stand behind is 100 calories in 10 minutes. Some using simple math have thus concluded 60 minutes equals 600 calories. This may be true in theory, and you can burn 600 calories doing many high impact aerobic exercises, but in reality it’s unlikely. The initial energy burning spike begins to decrease after ten minutes. Whether you’re sweating in an intensive hoop aerobics class or dreamily hoop dancing to Imogen Heap on a sunny day also plays a factor, as does your body weight and the weight of your hoop. That’s why giving a range – 300 to 600 calories – is accurate and useful.
Hooping.org
