EPOC Explained: Why Hula Hooping Can Keep Burning Calories After You Stop Spinning

(Inspired by a lovely NEW hula hoop studio member who is a little achy at the moment)

If you’ve ever finished a strong hula hoop session and felt warm, slightly breathless, and weirdly energised after you put the hoop down — that’s not just endorphins. That’s EPOC doing its thing. Then the soreness hits you & the next day you can still feel that you worked out! - That means: you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone & I literally want to run and give you a cuddle: I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

Let’s break it down & MAKE IT MEGA-HOOP-SPECIFIC!

What Is EPOC?

EPOC stands for Excess Post‑Exercise Oxygen Consumption.

In simple terms:

It’s the extra oxygen (and energy) your body uses after exercise to recover.

During higher‑effort exercise, your body goes slightly into oxygen debt. Once you stop, your system has work to do:

• Replenish ATP (your energy currency)

• Clear metabolic by‑products like lactate

• Repair muscle tissue

• Bring heart rate and breathing back to baseline

• Regulate body temperature

All of that recovery work requires energy — which means you’re still burning calories after your workout has ended.

That post‑exercise burn is EPOC. YOU SEE: we speak the same language a little more every time we hang out 😁

Why EPOC Matters (Especially for Busy Hoopers)

EPOC is one reason short, effective sessions can outperform long, gentle ones when it comes to body composition and metabolic health.

Instead of thinking:

“I need to hoop for an hour to get results”

EPOC lets you think:

“I can hoop smart, challenge my muscles & let my body keep torching the calories afterwards.”

MEGA EPIC if you:

• Have limited time

• Are navigating perimenopause or hormonal shifts ( simply because at this age one cannot afford to overtrain with long duration workouts that cause hormonal havoc )

• Want physique changes without living in the gym

Does Hula Hooping Actually Create EPOC?

Yes — when it’s done with enough intensity and muscular demand - using HYPERTROPHY TRAINING PROTOCOLS

Not all hooping triggers meaningful EPOC.

Low‑EPOC Hooping Examples

• Very heavy weighted waist hoop workouts

• Gentle waist hooping only

• Same low intensity movement pattern for long periods

• Able to chat comfortably the entire time

This is lovely for circulation, coordination, and mood — but EPOC will be minimal.

High‑EPOC Hooping Examples

• resistance‑based tricks

• tricks that challenge balance & core & flexibility

• POWER moves where you need to engage fast-twitch muscle fibres

• plyometrics

Why Muscle Matters for EPOC

EPOC isn’t just about breathlessness — it’s strongly linked to muscle recruitment.

When you challenge muscle:

• More motor units are recruited

• More tissue damage (the good, adaptive kind) occurs

• More repair is required post‑session

That repair process increases oxygen use and energy demand — extending the EPOC effect.

As long as you're sore - you're torching it!

This is why hypertrophy‑style hula hooping (training muscles under load) is so powerful.

You’re not just burning calories during the session. You’re improving:

• Resting metabolic rate

• Insulin sensitivity

• Muscle tone and firmness

• Long‑term energy expenditure

• Increasing BONE DENSITY

EPOC vs “Cardio Burn” (Important Distinction)

Now you will see why I never bother wearing a smart watch or counting calories with gadgets during my hooping:

Traditional cardio thinking says: Burn as many calories as possible during the workout.

EPOC flips that idea.

With EPOC‑focused training:

• The session may be shorter

• The intensity is higher

• The calorie burn continues afterwards

• The body adapts by becoming stronger and more metabolically active

Hula hooping is uniquely suited for this because it blends:

• Resistance

• Coordination

• Core engagement

• RECRUITMENT OF Different types of muscle fibres

How to Increase EPOC in Your Hula Hoop Practice

Progressive overload is the KEY

Try:

• ⏱️ Intervals: 30–60 seconds of focused effort, short recovery - later when you're fitter go for 90! I do 90 second sets

• 🧠 Skill + load: challenging tricks with more body weight resistance moves e.g. inversions

• Wobble: anything that requires balancing ( on feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, arms...) that recruits more muscle fibre because you simply cannot rest on your ligaments! You have to actively stabilise with your muscles! That costs energy!

• Power: basically that means fast and strong at the same time - think EXPLOSIVITY

If your breathing is elevated and your muscles feel worked, if you cannot sustain the workout for hours: EPOC is happening. Just get pooped really 💩 if still cute at the end of your workout: no EPOC

The goal isn’t exhaustion. The goal is stimulus → recovery → adaptation.

There are hormonal responses, too... which are mega sweet especially if around PERIMENOPAUSE...

Through EPOC you trigger hormonal adaptations as well as mitochondrial changes... this blog post would take forever if we go into it all... if interested, check out my Spin & Chat Series to learn more about hooping & how it impacts your physiology and chemistry 💗