Weighted Hula Hoop, ACU Hoop 4M - 4 lb Medium, Weight Loss Fitness Workout Sports Hoop with ridges. (Rainbow Colors)

This is a cut and paste of everything I posted on my Facebook page.... Read my important note at the bottom too!! *** Soooo... I bought an Acu Hoop fitness hula hoop from Amazon.com. I will never ever say anything negative about Hula Hooping. It is definitely not as easy as some make it look if you haven't done it before. You definitely get a great workout from it. I've never been coordinated, but I bought a 4lb hoop and after about 6 tries I can get it to stay up for about 12 spins. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but if you do it for the first time you will understand. I've read that you just have to keep practicing with it to keep it up longer. The more you do it the stronger your muscles get. So I'm going to play with this one for a while and move on to a regular adult weighted hoop. I know it sounds silly, but I want to learn how to do tricks with it. If I can lose weight or tighten some things up, then that's great too. :) Before getting to those 12 spins I couldn't get it to stay up for even 2 spins... Had to work my way up through the 6 tries, spaced apart... I am very out of shape. If anyone decides to try this... buy a neoprene waist belt to use in the beginning. The Acu Hoop has soft ridges on the inside to help it stay up on your body better and to massage your middle, it can bruise you when you first begin. But that only lasts for maybe a week from what I have seen from others. I put my feet about a foot apart one forward one back... some people put their feet a foot apart to the sides, either way is fine... just find the one that works best for you. Today is my first day so I will let people know how it goes. And... sucking your belly in while you are doing it makes it stay up better. I can see how this can improve posture with time. I also have a bad back and this works your core muscles very well which will ultimately help with my back. Any core exercises are great for back pain, it is your stomach muscles that support your upper body more than any other. And yet another footnote... Make sure you stand on something where your feet won't slide or wear non skid shoes. I tried doing it with bare feet on the kitchen floor and my feet slid a little too much. Standing on a rug or outside where your feet won't slide will help. It is fun, but it's also work. If you do try it, don't lose patience with it at the beginning. Today is day 2 for me, I still have trouble keeping the hoop up for long, especially when I first use it. The more you practice with it the easier it will get, but it will take time. I try to keep a focal point on something that is eye level so that I don't bend over. If you bend over you'll lose the hoop ( I have a habit of doing this if I feel the hoop start to go down, then I lose it) there is an urge to bend over if the hoop starts to fall, but if you straighten up instead, sometimes it keeps it up. You have to keep your back straight and hold your stomach in and concentrate on your posture while doing it. It's definitely good for posture and balance. I think its a good workout for your brain too, since you have to think about what you are doing. You will definitely feel it the next day. They only recommend using it for the first week at 3 minute intervals at a time. I used it about 10 times yesterday for a few minutes each time. I definitely feel it today in all the right places. It will work your upper arm muscles all the way down to your thighs. Because you have to keep your arms up for balance, and your knees bent slightly while you are spinning your hips. Also, the hoop might seem a bit large when you put it together, but really it isn't. The hoop should rest on the floor and if the top reaches to your belly button or just above it, it is the right size. I am 5'3 and the medium 4lb hoop reaches to my just above my belly button. ***Another note.... do not hoop on concrete or on wood that can splinter. I hooped in my computer room at first, but the room is slightly too small and my hoop hit the dresser in there and a tiny piece of wood pulled off a tiny piece of my foam on the hoop, not enough to hurt it. Just keep in mind that it has foam on the outside which can get damaged. Just do it in a room that has a rug and plenty of space or outside on your lawn.***

FINALLY! An exercise I actually look forward to, and therefore easily stick with. And it's far cheaper, more fun, and more convenient than a gym. And I lost 3 lbs my first week or so. I am a 63-year-old female, 50 pounds overweight, and hadn't engaged in any sustained physical activity in years. Been using the hoop about 8-10 days now. Being so out of condition, I still tire quickly, so each of my sessions last only about 2 minutes. And the hoop still produces dramatic results. (I do 2 to 4 sessions a day, over a period of about 8-9 hours) * After my first few attempts, on 3 consecutive days, I was able to actually "hoop," keeping the hoop up around my waist. Even before I achieved any degree of success, I was having fun, and experienced very minimal & painless bruising in the beginning. * From the very first attempt, I felt energized, and that energy increases as I make hooping progress. I'm off coffee! * Because of the energy I derive from hooping, I've been able to easily resume other forms of exercise: walk briskly for 1-2 hours daily; work with free weights as I watch TV. I like that there's no special clothing, shoes, equipment, or preparation necessary. I get out of bed and immediately get to hooping while still in my nightgown. It's a quick waker-upper that gets my day off to a good, productive start. Throughout the day, when I start to drag, I spontaneously start hooping and I'm energized again. I hoop two to four times a day, whether I feel weary or not. All this has naturally decreased my appetite. Hoop was easy to assemble; no special tools or tricks required. And I had no problems with respect to the hoop's coming apart. And I love the bright colors; they lift my mood. As with any exercise, this method might not be for everyone. I suggest that before ordering the hoop, you test your ability to gyrate, simulating movements you'd be making with the Hula Hoop.

I've already lost 2 inches off my waist and (at most) I work out with the hoop 10 minutes a day. I do some other exercises, but I'm a bit of a lazy butt and this allows me to exercise while watching tv and not really concentrating (I've always been good with hula hooping). I did get a lot of bruises the first day I did this. Granted, I pushed myself too much as well...as they only recommend hooping for 2-5 minutes and I watched an episode of "Glee" while working out. I couldn't stretch the next day and I definitely could not hoop without whimpering. I joked that when the advertisers came up with the "Takes inches off your waist!" line that they really meant it was simply pummeling the fat into your body and making it more concentrated. Two days later I was able to do it again and now it's not a bother at all. I have a feeling those who are complaining about the bruises never picked it up after a day and never acclimated themselves to the style of workout. I am pleased as punch that I bought this. I don't regret it at all and think it is actually one of my best exercise investments in terms of payoff. I'm not so financially well off that I can buy much more than an item here or there in terms of workout equipment, and the $[...] spent on this (shipping included) has been my largest purchase thus far. But it's easy, it works, and I have fun with it. My stomach looks amazing! Flat, but still feminine. I'm now looking into getting some for my arms to see if I can get rid of my genetically "blessed" ham-bones that grandma gave me!

When putting the pieces together the button on some was difficult to push in so it took a little effort to get them together. The first time using it the pieces stayed together. The second time they broke apart like others have said but I just pushed the pieces tighter and have been fine since. I also experienced the bruising sensation but after two days the pain disappeared. It is too soon to see if it is working on shedding my waistline, but I will continue to use every day.

The was the best purchase, it help strengthen my core and slim my side. It is weighted, when you first started out it could hurt. I suggest start out slowly and do a little more each day.

The parts dont stay together. While I was using the product one of the parts separated and the whole 4lb hula hoop flew into my tv breaking it. Now I have to buy a new tv. The old one was $500. After crying for hours I decided to try the product again thinking maybe it was my fault that I didn't connect everything all the way, but it broke again. Don't waste your money.

I never thought I could get my post baby tummy down even after I lost the weight. There was still this little pouch( I'm sure most moms can relate). But after reading an article about how hula hooping can get your stomach flat I decided to try. The company claims that after a month of doing this 10 mins 2x a week that you would lose 2 inches off your stomach I decided to try. Let me tell that this thing works!!!! Now to be fair I didn't measure my stomach before I started nor after. My proof my trying on a pair of shorts that , while it could fit me, was a bit snug around the waist. Let me tell you, not only was it not snug anymore, but there was actually space when I pulled at the waist! This works! I have already told 2 of my friends about it. I will sing the praises to anyone. I even got my husband using it. I will say that since this is a weighted hula hoop, that when you first start you are going to feel like something is punching you in the hip! But....you will get past it. You start off gradually like it says. But if you can start to work your way up to 10 mins, 2x a day it'll be so worth it. You will also notice the difference before then. This hoop is the business!! :) Happy Hooping!

For those who are skeptical of hula hooping, trust me.. it works. I eat a lot and I sometimes eat way too much. However, recently I tried to control my eating habits and just eat enough. I eat the same usual food I love to eat, just enough to keep me full. I also stopped eating junk food like chips, candy, and fried stuff. However, I do indulge on more healthier options like if I do eat fried stuff because it's being served to me at dinner time then I'll probably eat more vegetables to keep me full and eat 3/4 of the fried whatever I'm having. I go to the gym like 2x a week and do mainly cardio and sometimes 30 leg ups.. i love hula hooping when I'm watching tv. It's so simple and at first, it was painful but my abs are like immune to the hula hoop now. I can do it for like 40 minutes a day, 2x for 20 minutes. This has helped me tone my stomach so much and tighten my belly skin.. at first I wasn't sure if it was working but I stuck to it and continued to do this.. if I don't go to the gym then I would do this for 40 minutes. Just regular hula, no salsa movements or chachacha or moving my arms up and down. I just use my core to control the hula. It helps your core a lot and build muscle. Even though I have fat above the muscle, I think it does really help break down the fat. You will see results but you have to also try to eat less or healthier... remember, there's no such thing as an easy way out.. but this was one of the easier workouts for me and helped me lose about 10 lbs. hehe I can't wait to continue my weight loss journey.