If you have ever visited my Facebook or YouTube, you may have seen vacation video or pictures from Nassau Bahamas. This was not the first time I traveled with my hoop…quite the contrary. I have been traveling with hoops since 2009 and it’s always an amazing adventure. Hooping truly is a universal language! I mean, who knew they would have a talent show at our beach resort, for example? I sure was prepared! So, I realized after that trip years ago, there are multiple benefits to hooping abroad…and you might be surprised by some of them! Today, I’d simply like to share just 5 reasons to take your hoop on vacation!
- Meet the locals EASILY…ANYWHERE…ANYTIME.
The hoop is a magnet. It attracts wide-eyed and curious looks, plus many wonderful comments from complete strangers, always accompanied by smiles and laughter. It’s the perfect ice-breaker and conversation starter in any situation. One thing you can be sure of is that the nature of your interactions while hooping will only and ALWAYS be positive, light in spirit! Simply having a hoop with you can add a bright spot of positivity to the usually negative travel experience. As one client so perfectly put it in a text to me from the airport one morning…”My hoop is getting more attention than a newborn baby!”
- Keep up with your fitness and wellness goals while traveling.
As I have been mentioning, hooping provides excellent cardio and full body toning all at at the same time. In addition, it’s a perfect High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) method because you can speed it up and slow it down easily, while keeping the flow going throughout your session. In addition, being very low impact and gentle on the joints is one of its best benefits! With all that in mind, how wonderful it is to be able to take a collapsible hoop with you and never miss a beat of your exercise regimen? You can find multiple places to hoop while on trips…the pool, the beach, the mountains, the deck of a ship, the lake, the woods, city parks and the list can go on and on. Even at the airport, the hoop can be a wonderful way to loosen up or de-stress between flights and while stuck during a layover. Terminals are big and spacious enough to find a corner and get some hoop practice in. That’s right, think of your hoop as your yoga mat…hoops are no different. They are good for you, quickly available at your fingertips, bringing happiness in an otherwise miserable situation. It makes the day more blissful. Bliss is usually not a word we think of on “travel days”…getting to and from your destination is usually FAR from relaxing. Think of the hoop as your mental health muscle relaxer, mind and body wellness on the go!
- Help burn off those extra vacation calories BEFORE you get home.
Extra movement on vacation means extra calories burned. So go ahead and indulge a little. Keep in mind that hooping burns 100 calories every 10 minutes. You literally won’t even realize that you played with your hoop for 15-20 minutes and then POOF, you just hooped off that glass of wine or dessert!
- Prevent “Vacation Constipation” while on your trip.
Yes, I am going to go there. Traveling can really upset your “constitution.” Irregularity while vacationing is very common, with upset to our normal digestive patterns due to many factors including diet, sleep, daily routine changes and stress. Luckily, the hoop’s movement on your body and the motion you provide with your torso inside the hoop gently massages the organs and bowels, keeping everything “flowing” smoothly, just like your own hoop practice.
- Foster a much richer and enhanced hoop practice back home.
When you experience hooping somewhere special and relaxing; that blissful vacation feeling will return home with you in your hoop practice long after your trip ends. You come back with more inspiration to keep on moving and keep on improving. Maybe you “got’ a move or trick you have been working on. It’s hard to keep that to yourself, so you begin sharing more about it with your family and friends. Before you know it, you notice that you really are hooping “lighter” than before you went on vacation. Sometimes a change of venue in our hoop practice adds JUST what we need to get us out of a “rut” in our habits (or LACK of habits).
Just as we take vacations to clear our head and rejuvenate, our hooping needs the same self-care. Getting out with nature in a new environment, a new place will open up your mind to new possibilities with your hoop practice. You’ll be relaxed and not as pressured for time…you’ll be able to just spend some uninterrupted practice getting to know your hoop better, away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life. Doing this absolutely connects you better with your hoop practice and you are more willing to allow it to carry over into your normal routine once your get back to the real world.
Vacation is a time of enjoyment and relaxation. If you don’t enjoy exercise, then why make yourself do it when you are supposed to be having a good time? Luckily, with a hoop, your fun and joy is simply more enhanced WHEREVER you ARE, so taking it along is an added bonus rather than a chore!
I would be honored to provide you with a custom made hoop for your next trip. Never hesitate to contact me for help! Remember, with a hoop, it’s like a “mini-vacation” anytime you use it…any day…anywhere! Let me leave you with this thought…
“More than just yearly rituals in which we connect with friends and family, vacations are also exercises in self-definition. In affording time away from the demands of everyday life, vacations disclose what people choose to do rather than are required to do.”
CINDY SONDIK ARON, Working at Play
We respect your email privacy
