The #hulahoopfitness hashtag counts more than 141.7 million views on the social network TikTok.

More than just child’s play?

A cult schoolyard item in the 1960s, and then again getting renewed interest in the 1990s to 2000s, the hula hoop is back, this time as a workout.

Spinning the hoop around your waist is not an easy task. It requires using your abs, as well as your lower back and pelvis. Plus, this exercise helps to boost cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

Indeed, keeping the hoop spinning around your waist continuously burns calories. For 10 minutes of hooping, you burn about 100 calories. It also helps you work on your synchronisation.

Since its commercial creation in 1958 by Americans Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr, specialists in the children’s games industry, the hula hoop has evolved.

Gone are the simple bamboo or plastic hoops marketed by the inventors of the children’s plaything. The range of available products has now diversified according to the needs and demands of users.

Manufacturers have created hoops with humps and massage rings. The latter promote weight loss and also help hone the silhouette.

Be careful, however, as using this kind of hoop too frequently can lead to marks on the body, especially for people with circulation problems.

Once you’ve mastered the art of hula-hooping, you can take on new challenges, such as hoop-dancing, which consists of hula-hoop moves and choreographed routines set to music.