Remember the hula hoop, the plastic toy that you played with as a kid—slinging the big round hoop around your waist and moving your hips to keep it rotating? It’s back—this time as a genuinely great exercise for adults.

And yes—you can do it.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have even studied it. They found that a 30-minute hula hoop workout can burn about 210 calories, similar to taking a brisk walk. Hula hooping also has been found to strengthen core muscles and improve balance. That’s good news for people looking for another type of workout to add to their regimen. John Porcari, PhD, executive director of the La Crosse Exercise and Health Program at the university and the lead researcher in the study, explains how you can make hula hooping into a real workout…

THE HOOP

The first plastic hula hoops were made by the toy company Wham-O starting in the 1950s. But hooping actually dates back thousands of years to ancient Greece and Egypt, where early exercisers used hoops made of grapevines or stiff grasses.

Today’s adult fitness hula hoops are larger (37 to 45 inches in diameter) than the original toy version and weigh more—between one and five pounds. The bigger diameter and added weight enables the hoop to rotate more slowly around the body, which makes the activity easier. Some adult hoops come wrapped in friction tape in a candy-cane style—this let’s the hoop stick to your body better, which means that you’ll spend more time with the hoop moving and less time stopping to pick it up.

You’ll want to choose a hoop that fits your body. If you stand the hoop on the ground in front of you, the top should reach between your belly button and mid-chest. Hula hoops for adults are available at many sporting goods stores and online, such as at CanyonHoops.com. The average cost is between $25 and $35. It’s best to store your hoop by lying it flat in a cool place. Hanging it from a hook can cause it to droop.

HOW TO HOOP

Hula hooping classes are offered at gyms, Ys and community centers. Classes may differ. Some focus entirely on dance moves, while others combine strength training (using the hula hoop while doing lunges and squats) and an aerobic workout. If you are new to hooping, look for a beginner’s class that will spend some time teaching you the basics of twirling the hoop around your waist.

You also can hula hoop on your own. Do several basic moves, as described below, and you have your own workout.

Basic move (known as the pump). This is the classic “just keep it going!” move. Stand inside the hoop with one foot forward and one foot back at a comfortable, shoulder-width stance with your knees slightly bent. Hold the hoop with two hands and position it so that it’s at waist height and resting against your back. Holding the hoop, wind it to one side as far as it can go. Then let it go in the opposite direction. To keep the hoop going, move your hips forward and back. It may take you a while to master this basic move, but eventually you’ll be able to keep the hoop moving in time with your hips’ motion. You can keep your feet close together and make tiny hip movements or take a wide stance and make more dramatic hip movements. If the hoop starts to wobble, you might need a big hip movement to bring it back into balance.

Variations. Once you have mastered the basic move, there are a number of other moves you can add. You can vary the pace of the hoop—going faster so that it rises up on your body. Or alternate between fast and regular speeds. You also can change direction of the hoop every few minutes. Other variations include moving your feet in dancelike steps while you hoop…turning in a circle while the hoop turns the other way…and moving your arms up and down as you hoop. You’ll find that a hula hoop workout is great when done to music that gets you moving.

Hula hooping is not recommended for women who are pregnant or for people with spine injuries. People who are in poor health should consult with a physician before beginning any new exercise program.