News
Too many hoops… CONFUSING???
I have been receiving many emails asking which is the correct hula hoop for them. I guess HulaHoopSingapore is spoiling you with too many hula hoop options. I hope this article helps.
What will you expect to see if you start hula hooping now? You will definitely see a curvier waistline, stronger back and abs. Hula hooping is a great exercising equipment during your busy times, when you are caught up with work, family or bad weather. Hula hooping may be your first step in exercising. It is convenient, and you will love it that you own one at home. You can exercise anywhere and anytime. 5 minutes a day of hula hooping is better than not exercising at all.
Here are some guidelines in selecting a preferred hula hoop. Ask yourself these questions to scope down your ideal hula hoop.
-
If you are a beginner, ALWAYS start with a lighter hula hoop. Don’t be over ambitious in getting the heaviest hoop just because it’s ON SALE. You will end up injuring yourself. Increase the hoop’s weight gradually. If you do exercise regularly and have quite strong abs, you may start using heavier hula hoops with weight from 1.4kg onwards.
-
How tall are you? Ideally, a hula hoop’s diameter should be around your navel area from the ground. If you are 150cm tall (plus minus), a 90cm diameter hula hoop is good for you. If you are taller than 160cm, a hula hoop with diameter of 100cm will be around your navel area. These hula hoop sizes that match your height will give moderate spinning speed.
-
How fast would you like your hula hoop to spin? If you prefer a high impact hula hooping exercise, choosing a smaller hula hoop diameter will help you sweat sooner. Smaller hula hoop will spin faster because it completes a circle quicker compared to a bigger hula hoop. Even if you are tall person, but like moving around fast while hula hooping, select a smaller size hula hoop. Like wise, if you are not-so-tall, you may also use a bigger hoop for a slower twirls. All of our magnetic hoops are in 110cm, which may look big for smaller size adults. You will still be able to spin the hula hoop comfortably despite your height.
-
Which is better, WAVY or SMOOTH foam hoops? Both of these hoops are as effective when you exercise in the same way and same speed. They will give you the same result. Choice of the hoop's model depends on your preference. Smooth hoop gives you are smoooooth hula hooping experience. Whereas a wavy hoop provides extra massaging effect around your torso because of the unique waves at the inner side of the hoop.
- Should I take MAGNETIC or FOAM hoop? Foam hoops are ALL TIME favorite. It is surrounded with high quality soft foam, which makes landing impact gentler on your torso. Magnetic hoop has magnetic protrusions at the inner side of the hoop that provides massaging effects. Moreover, the magnetic bumps help increase blood circulation. If you are looking for a good massage, magnetic hoop will be nice. Magnetic hoops are also good for users with “flabby” tummies. Trimmer users will find the bumps uncomfortable or even painful.
If you still have more questions about our weighted hula hoop, please write to us at contactus@hulahoopsingapore.com. I will be happy to hear from you.
Lotsa Catch Up To Do!
It didn’t occur to me that I haven’t been writing on this blog… UNTIL I received an email from a hula hoop enthusiast. I felt the pinch when she referred to my blog dated in 2013 (seems so long). So, looks like we have some catch up to do here. I wish I have more inspiration to blog and write more often. Anyway, here are some updates on what I did for HulaHoopSingapore.com since last year till to-date.
JULY 2013
Back in July 2013, I enrolled into FISAF Singapore Core Course (The Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness). I joined FISAF because I wanted to be more equipped and be more grounded on fitness area. I learned about the fundamental of Functional Anatomy, Muscle Physiology, Mechanics of movements, Nutrition and I was introduced to many forms of exercises. The 5-day course was really laborious, it involved lots of theory and also physical activities. I was aching all over the very next day the course started. Now you know how unfit I was (heh!) Please find below for some of pictures of me during the course.
"Thank you Joan Liew for this beautiful picture with you. You are a great lady!
I am very proud standing next to a bodybuilding champion!"
Fast forward to May 2014, I took a step ahead in this business to venture to China to source for fitness products. Unfortunately, I was too overwhelmed with the products and I didn’t snap pictures with hula hoops found in the exhibition hall. The exhibition hall was massive, my feet ached badly after walking for 6 hours straight (minus lunch break). Nevertheless, I got a shot with some hula hoops I saw outside a sundry shop. This is how common hula hooping is in China.
In June 2014, I got in some smaller hula hoop samples from Taiwan. These are smaller and lighter hula hoops for small sized users and children. I received quite a number of requests from my customers for good quality kid’s hoops. The ones they get from toys shop will usually get out of shape within a few tries. I manage to engage young testers to help give feedbacks on the hula hoop samples. Thanks to valuable feedbacks and our new range of children-teenage hula hoops are on their way to Singapore! They will be ready by end of July 2014.
Sorry for this long write-up. That’s the problem for not writing often enough, ya? If you reached this part, THANK YOU for staying with me.
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Does SIZE really matter?
Does size really matter to you? What do you think? The answer is a resounding YES! I am not referring to how muscular you are, how big your house is or how fat your paycheck it. But, the serving portion of your meal/snacks. For the past few months, I have been trying to reach my pre-wedding weight. It doesn’t really seem far, it’s about 5kg away. Unfortunately, the journey is surely a long and tough one for the little weight I was about to lose.
I tried assessing my eating habits.
Am I eating healthy? Yes, I am.
Am I exercising regularly? Yes, I am. 3-5 times a week.
Now, back to basics. How much HEALTHY FOOD do I really eat every day? I munch on nuts instead of chips. Isn’t that healthy? The culprit lies in the portion of serving size. I can eat a "small" bowl of it. Whereas the recommended serving size is just a palm full. A palm full will be about 10-12 small nuts. Frequency, recommended ONCE a day. But, I can munch on the nuts throughout the day! How wrong is that?!!! (*smile)
I lower my carb intake and increase protein in-take. Where is the source of protein? I am a lover of roast pork belly. That’s it. Another culprit that sabotaged my weight loss program. I am consuming more fats than protein. The proportion is not there.
The list can go on. The way food is prepared matters too. Deep fried or air fried makes a difference. Perhaps you may want to take some time to assess your eating habits and serving portion. The simple principle applies, what goes in and what comes out. Less goes in, less comes out.
Good day!
Step up your hula hoop workout
Since we started our online shop last year end, one of the popular hula hoop in our store is WH001 Wavy Foam 1.2kg. I bet by now, you are very used to your hoop. Or even question yourself, "is this hoop working for me???". This is a good sign. This simply means your back, waist, tummy and leg muscles are ready for greater challenge. To encourage the "not-so-newbies" to step up your hula hoop workout, we are offering 20% off on hoops for advanced users (hoops weighing 1.8kg on onwards) and 10% off for intermediate users (hoops weighing 1.4kg - 1.5kg).
We have a new magnetic hoop (WH003) that provides good massage on your torso. It has big massaging balls, comes with magnet on each massage bumps to improve blood circulation as your twirl. The total weight of the hoop is 1.7kg. This is suitable for advanced users.
If you are bored working out with your single hula hoop, try hooping with different hoop weight and texture. Foam hoops and magnetic hoop is a good match for one working session. Try exercising your arms while hooping. Do tricep/bicep curls with light weight dumbbells (0.5kg -1.0kg) or wrist weights.
Happy exploring and be creative with your hula hoop workout.
Good day!
Discovering the Next Great Hoop
Want to know what’s next in HulaHooSingapore.com? Let’s take a glimpse of hoops imported for testing. These hoops are directly from Taiwan manufacturers. There are easily 15-20 hula hoops queuing for testing. Can you spot any difference with the existing hoops in HulaHoopSingapore.com?
I get very excited when I see new and creative hula hoop designs in the market. I will get them in for testing if they are good for hula hoop workout.
In this batch, I got in smaller hoops for children or for smaller built ladies. I have hoops with adjustable weights, that you can add-in or reduce the hoop's weight according to your core muscles strength. From the pictures here, you can see hoops in different sizes, shapes, designs and materials.
.
Here are 3 hoops which I find them interesting. First is the "Water Bottle Hoop", with adjustable weight using a water container (first hoop in Picture 1). You can fill water into the blue bottle to adjust the weight to increase the centrifugal force. I am not able to hoop smoothly with this. So, I will strike this hoop out.
The 2nd creative hoop which I would like to highlight; pink&grey balls hula ring (Picture 1). It claims to help slim down waistline effectively and quickly. Unfortunately, I am not able to twirl for 3 decent rounds. Since I couldn't twirl it, I don't think it's a good choice to bring them in. The 3rd hoop I find intriguing; the red&black hoop with wheels (Picture 2). I like how it massages my torso as I twirl with it. The material is hard and strong. Beware if it falls on your toes or any parts of your leg. I tried stopping it from dropping to the floor with my shin… and ouch! And I mean “OUCH!!!”. |
Picture 2. Hula Hoop with Wheels (Red & Black hoop).
|
There are some smaller rings to help tone up arms (in Picture 1) while hooping. They are great tools.
Ok, that's all for now. Thank you for reading.
Seal with a kiss...
Look at all the parcels. All wrapped and labelled in high-speed. I hope you don't mind the wrapping. I just want to get them shipped out TODAY, 25th June. I hope you all get your hoops before the weekend.
To those who have ordered, start counting down today for the arrival of your hoop.
To those who are still planning to purchase a hoop, worry not about delay delivery. All products are here now in Singapore. All orders will be delivered within 2-3 days.... as usual.
If the haze catches us again (I hope not!), you need not skip your exercise regime. You can stay indoor and have jolly hoopie time!
I better get ready to the post office to send these parcels.
Bye!
Shipping Delay
You must be wondering if the hoops are here. They are suppose to arrive on 20th June, and I am still waiting for the hoops to be transported to my place (today is already 23rd June). The hazy weather is not helping. I was informed that work progress at the port has slowed down tremendously due to the haze. This purchase experience was not very pleasant. I encountered a series of unfortunate events throughout the order, from delayed production to shipping. The good news is, the hoops are now here in Singapore warehouse, waiting to be transferred to my place.
I must apologise to my dear customers who have ordered WH001, WH013 and Arm Hoops. Yes, I know you have been waiting for a long time. The hoops will be arriving my place on 25th June. I will get your hoops ready for delivery on 26th June. I sure hope you get the hoops before the coming weekend. Thank you for your patience and support.
p/s: Stay tune to some new products in this shipment.
New Website
I bet there's a need to re-design the website to be more informative. Here are some popular questions,
- "I am a beginner, which hula hoop is best for me?"
- "I want to burn my tummy fats, which is better? Foam hoop or magnetic hoop?"
- "Where is your shop? I would like to try the hula hoops before purchasing."
- "Can I exchange other hoops?"
- "My hoops came off while I was hooping. Can I exchange a new item?"
For those who have written to me, you can attest that I always promise a reply. If I didn't, please accept my sincere apology. Most likely I have overlooked or the mail went to junk mailbox. I love receiving emails because it's a pleasure to share with others on something in common, which is our interest in hula hooping and believe the rewards we can reap from it.
In the coming few days, you will see progressive updates on the website. Please bear with me on the changes. I try to make this transition as smooth as possible.
If you have seen some changes, how do you like the new website? Feel free to write me to provide feedbacks.
Hula Hooping with Different Weights in 1 Workout Session
Here are some workout tips:
Warm up (3 minutes):
1) Do some stretches on your legs, hands and waist.
2) Start with lighter hula hoop (e.g. WH001 Wavy Foam Hoop, 1.2kg).
3) Twirl hoop from left for 1.5 minutes.
4) Twirl hoop from right for 1.5 minutes.
Workout (5 minutes):
5) Switch to heavier hula hoop (e.g WH002 Magnetic Hoop, 1.45kg)
6) Twirl hoop to the left for 1.25 minutes.
7) Twirl hoop to the right for 1.25 minutes
8) Repeat step 6 & 7.
Warm down (3 minutes):
9) Switch back to lighter hula hoop to warm down.
10) Repeat step 3 & 4.
There you go, you have completed 11 minutes hula hoop workout session.
Well done!
Be creative with hula hoop weight combinations, depending on your core muscles strength. As for myself, I like working out first with WH002 Magnetic Hoop 1.45kg, then move to WH020 Wavy Foam Hoop 1.8kg. Finally, warm down with WH005 Magnetic Hoop 1.1kg.
Here are some are some weight combinations you would like to try:
1) WH005 Magnetic Hoop 1.1kg >> WH001 >> Wavy Foam Hoop 1.2kg >> WH005 Magnetic Hoop 1.1kg
2) WH001 Wavy Foam Hoop 1.2kg >> WH002 Magnetic Hoop 1.45kg >> WH001 Wavy Foam Hoop 1.2kg
3) WH002 Magnetic Hoop 1.45kg >> WH020 Wavy Foam Hoop 1.8kg >> WH005 Magnetic Hoop 1.1kg (my favorite combination that ends with great massage!)
4) Create one yourself (*smile).
New to Blogging
Thank you for visiting my blog. I have a confession, I am not an avid blogger. In fact this is my VERY FIRST blog site. I have been procrastinating blogging for many many months, since launching this website. Oh yes, that's a long time, I know. Well, I find that if I don't share with you my hula hoop adventure, no one will appreciate this wonderful, fun and easy exercise.
Lately, I have been actively searching, importing (samples only) and testing new hula hoops. You will be surprised there are many more hula hoops out there with "out-of-the-world" designs, shapes, mechanisms, materials and sizes. Have you seen hula hoop that doesn't come in circle? Trust me, there is. One day, I will post all my sample hula hoops online (fingers cross). I must say, not all make it to the "Online Shop" here.
I have many plans for HulaHoopSingapore.com. For example,
1) Recruiting volunteers to help out with new hula hoops testings
2) Compile and share new hula hoop exercise steps
3) Intend to give out FREE hula hoops quarterly for our facebook fans
4) Have a friendly competition on who can hula hoop the longest. I got this idea from a facebook fan. If I remember her name correctly, she is Stephanie (thanks Steph for sharing).
5) Organize a flash mob hula hoop performance at Raffles place
6) (Ideas will keep coming from you too, please share your ideas).
Yup, that's all I have in mind. Listing them out will help you police me to make them come true. Please share with me if you have any good ideas on how to keep this website lively and interesting for all of us. One thing we have in common, that is we are all hula hoop enthusiasts!
That's all for now.
Have a wonderful day!
Sincerely,
May Lim
- 1
- 2