7 Healthcast: Hula Hooping

The hula-hoop is back and ready to roll on the list of aerobic fitness trends. Hoopers say it is an irresistible way to trim down and tone up.

Loren Bidner, Instructor, Hoop Class
"It's just contagious. People see people moving in them and they want to get into them themselves."

Loren Bidner charges fifteen dollars for this hour long class in New York City.

Loren Bidner, Instructor, Hoop Class
"You're building your stamina, You're toning your abs and you're raising your heart rate, and you're pumping the blood."

In 1958, this small plastic hoop hit the scene as a children's toy...25 million sold in four months. In 1994, immortalized as Tim Robbins "invention" in "the hudsucker proxy."

Today, it's a dose of nostalgia for adults looking for a non-traditional workout.

Hoop Student
"I actually was at the gym before I came here and this workout was one hundred times better than my previous one."

The hoops here are customized -so everyone can get results.

Hoop Student
"It's an aerobic workout, but it's also fun."

There are classes across the country. And this exercise video featuring weighted hoops. They say you can burn up to 660 calories an hour here.

There are magazine articles even a website tracking the trend. Maybe not, but Bidner says the health benefits are real.

Loren Bidner, Instructor, Hoop Class
"You're burning the calories, you're working out."

And for many, it's the best of both worlds.

For More Information:
http://www.hoopclass.com