Jul 21, 2025

How Long Should You Hula Hoop For?

Bee Varga
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How often and how long to Hula Hoop?

Welcome to Spin & Chat Episode Four! 💖

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “How long and how often should I be hula hooping?”—you’re not alone. I get asked this almost every single day.

So, let’s break it down together— Whether you're hooping for fun or dreaming of a sculpted physique, you're about to get clarity (and a boost of motivation).

The First Goal: Have Fun! 🎉

Let’s talk FUN.

If your main goal is joy, then here’s your golden rule:
👉 Hoop for as long as it feels good.

That’s it!
Use the hoop that feels fun. Do the moves that feel fun. Dance. Wiggle. Laugh. You don’t owe anyone sweat or soreness. If you’re here for happiness, you are already succeeding.

Honestly, reaching the point where movement feels fun is a HUGE milestone. So if that’s where you’re at, I am cheering wildly for you.

But some of us (me included ) want a bit more structure. We want to feel strong, look sculpted, and make the most of every minute. If that sounds like you too, keep reading—we’re about to get into the good stuff.

What If You Want to Sculpt Your Physique?

For some people, staying in shape comes naturally with a few fun classes here and there. That’s amazing for them.

But for others—like me—it’s not that easy. I had to figure out how to make exercise work for me. I wanted to look like I worked out without spending hours at the gym. I needed a strategy. And it worked—I even won a first-place trophy in a London fitness competition.

I say this not to impress you, but to impress upon you:
You CAN change your body with hula hooping.
Even if you're busy. Even if you're tired. Even if you're starting from scratch.

The secret sauce:

👉 Progressive Overload.

This is how anyone, at any level, can get from point A (where you are) to point B (where you want to be).

Let me break it down in hoop terms.

Step 1: Start Where You Are (Not Where Instagram Says You Should Be)

When you’re new to hooping & tried it all but failed forever and you feel like no hula hoop will ever stay up on you : the best hoop to start with is a weighted hoop.

Weighted hoops get a lot of flack, but here’s the truth: they stay up easily, even if your core isn’t strong yet, even if you're not yet flexible or strong. They give you that first taste of success. You feel sweaty. You drop a few inches. It’s exciting!

But… eventually, most people plateau.

That’s because doing the same thing over and over (even if it’s fun!) only gets you so far. As the saying goes:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

To keep seeing changes, you need to progress.

Step 2: Make It a Little Harder (Not a Lot)

Your next hoop might be:

A little lighter
A little smaller
A little faster

This is your first progression. Your body has to work a bit harder again, and boom—you’re sweaty, you're glowing, and you're back to making progress.

Then maybe you start exploring other moves:
Try: Hips. Shoulders. Chest. Legs...
Each one a new challenge, a new skill, a new reason to feel proud of yourself.

As your strength builds, so does your confidence. You feel fitter. You look fitter. You start carrying yourself differently.

That’s the magic of progressive overload. ✨

Step 3: Play With Time

Another way to level up? Increase the duration of your workouts.

That’s exactly what we do in this Spin & Chat series.
The videos get longer, little by little. You’re hooping longer without even realizing it.

It’s a method used in many beginner-friendly plans, like “Couch to 5K.” And it works beautifully.

But here's something important to understand:
You can’t keep increasing forever.
At some point, adding more minutes doesn’t make sense. (Unless you want to hula hoop for 103 hours a day 🤪)

So instead of endlessly adding time, we shift our focus to intensity and skill progression.

Step 4: Shrink Your Hoop, Grow Your Power

Let’s talk hoop size.

Bigger hoops go slower. They’re easier.
Smaller hoops go faster. They make your body work.

Even just 1 or 2 inches smaller can make a big difference. It can feel like a whole new workout! You’ll breathe harder. Your heart will race. And yes—you might feel awkward. But that’s not failure. That’s growth. 💥

It’s totally normal to struggle when you level up.

So if you’re challenged? You’re on the right track.

Real Talk: Change Isn’t Easy—But You’re Worth It ❤️

Here’s the truth:

Easy, comfortable, and effortless won’t change your body.

If you want to stay where you are, that’s totally okay. If you want to go somewhere new—to look and feel stronger—you’ll need to do something new. Something a bit harder.

And I know you can. You’ve got this.