TikTok has set so many trends, from food recipes like the baked feta pasta to dance moves like the “woah.” Now, a growing workout trend you may start to see pop up on your “For You” page is the weighted hula hoop. While traditional hula hoops have been popular toys for years, this new way of hooping is meant to be a fun way to get a cardio workout in. But what exactly are weighted hula hoops and how beneficial are they? 

Well, according to Healthline, weighted hula hoops are exactly what they sound like. They’re hula hoops with more pounds to them, and typically made of softer material. The amount of weight you can get also varies from hoop to hoop, but generally, a two pound weighted hula hoop is the norm. In fact, the chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Lewis Nelson, MD, claims that anything “under two pounds” is safe and poses “exceptionally low” risk of internal injuries (via Health).

Are weighted hula hoops a good ab workout?

Now, when it comes to whether or not weighted hula hoops work, it seems they do. Trainer Kehinde Anjorin, NCSF, CFSC, says that “hula hooping involves total-body coordination, muscular endurance, and core stability” (via Women’s Health). So, a standard hoop will already give you a pretty good workout, but adding on the weight adds an extra level of strength training to it.

In fact, after just one workout, your abs may feel a little sore, according to Today, which is a good indicator that it’s working. Aside from helping you gain the abs of your dreams, a weighted hula hoop may even help to improve your running. A study from 2019 published in Obesity Facts found that individuals who used a weighted hula hoop for six weeks lost inches off their waist and a significant amount of abdominal fat compared to individuals who walked for about 10,000 steps per day (via Runners World).

That suggests that those individuals using their weighted hula hoops were engaging their core more, which is important for a good running form. So, whether you’re looking to engage your core, lose a few pounds, or just find a super fun workout that reminds you of your childhood, the weighted hula hoops seems to be the next TikTok trend you should try.

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