Hula Hoop for better mental health!
Hula hoop your stress away! Some people think of hula hooping as just sending a hoop around the waist, but hoop dance has developed to be so much more these days! It is a whole complex series of tricks and illusions created using dynamic, full-body movements, all fused with dance! Because of the complexity and full-body movement, the benefits of a regular practice go beyond just the physical and have an astounding positive impact on the mind.
One way that hula hooping benefits the mind is the quieting of the mind as it concentrates on becoming more and more in tune with the body. Each new move builds and strengthens new neurological connections. Much like if you tried to write with your left hand but had been right handed your whole life. This new processing of information and development in physical ability enables new parts of the brain to fire up. So hula hoops literally help you build new brain cells!
Movement is also a key component of self-care when it comes to mental health. There are many studies linking consistent exercise to improvements in mental health. With hula hooping you can literally dance away your stresses! How epic is that! The studies on exercise include a profound reduction anxiety and depression from consistent exercise, need I give you any better excuse to grab your hula hoops and get dancing already!?
If that wasn't enough..I can not express enough the incredible transcendental state of flow. This state of flow is created through freestyle dance with the hoop, the act of moving almost seamlessly from one trick to another requires a meditative space of calm but concentrated. Everything but that moment and that movement melts away from existence! It’s mind and body freedom and it feels incredible! For me, this has been the game changer! I got quite hooked as soon as I was able to start dropping into hula hoop flow. Still to this day it is my meditation and my sanctuary. Here is an example of one of my favourite hula hoop flows from our Facebook page:
If you already know the basics of hula hooping and would like to experience more flow, I highly recommend using polypro hoops! These hoops are lighter and more reactive making them incredible for melding tricks and dance and getting lost in the movement!
Find our range of polypro hula hoops here.
If you're just getting started, our beginner hula hoops are available here! We even have an awesome online program to help you get started with learning to hula hoop, including a simple combo for you to use for your first flow session! All of our hula hoops are made in NZ and each is handmade to suit your needs!