Hula Hoop Isolation, Arm and Leg Hooping

1. Arm hooping

Start with vertical circular movements in front or to the side of the body. Keep enough distance from your face and upper body. The three following sequences show the complete path of the hoop through the hand.

Step 1: Tilt the hoop forward

Grab the top of the hoop with your palm facing up. Tilt it forward in a controlled manner until the posture resembles a drawn bow. Keep the movement firmly guided at first. Then open your hand so that the hoop can follow its downward momentum.

Step 2: Pass between thumb and index finger

As the hoop falls forward and down, turn the back of your hand upwards. Guide the hoop over the soft area between your thumb and forefinger. As soon as it comes back into your palm, grab it calmly and without any jerky movements.

Step 3: Individual movements become a circle

Repeat both partial movements and gradually shorten the holding time. The arm describes a small circle close to the body; the hand does not move unnecessarily far to the side. Turn your hand slightly so that the pressure is not permanently on the back of the hand. If you experience pain or numbness, stop immediately.

2. Lift-out and Thumb Roll

The lift-out moves the hoop upwards in a movement close to the body. When doing a thumb roll, the grip is released briefly, the hoop rolls over the thumb and turns into a circular hand movement. Practice each sub-sequence individually and then connect them.

Movement sequence: Lift-out with Thumb Roll

The animation shows the complete combination of lifting, thumb roll, overhead circle and return.

Sequence A: Complete movement

Step 1: Guide the hoop over your head

Start by raising the second arm. Guide the hoop upwards in a controlled manner. As soon as it is above your head, release your grip and place or press your thumb on the inside of the hoop.

Step 2: Half turn on the thumb

Let the hoop roll over your thumb about half a turn. The hand remains open and follows the circular path until the hoop turns into a controlled circular hand movement.

Step 3: Perform overhead circle

Perform a full hand circle overhead. As you do this, observe the opening that forms in front of your body. You will need this opening in the next step to change the arm.

Step 4: Switch arms through the opening

Bring arm 1 to the starting position and move it up through the front opening while arm 2 runs down. The palm of arm 2 faces forward; Both movements occur simultaneously and without jerky pulling.

Step 5: Return hoop to hip

Guide the hoop further down, grab it again in a controlled manner and push it forward to hip height. From there you can pass it again in a circular motion close to your body.

Sequence B: The same movement from a second perspective

Step 6: Lifting from the opposite view

The second perspective shows the hoop being lifted to the side and placed over the head. Keep the circular path even and let your shoulders relax.

Step 7: Release the grip and position your thumb

Open your hand again above your head and place your thumb on the inside of the hoop. The hoop rolls half a turn over the thumb and then goes into the hand circle.

Step 8: Identify front opening

Complete the overhead circle. Focus on the free space in front of the body: Arm 1 is guided upwards through this area, while Arm 2 moves downwards.

Step 9: Opposite arm changes

With the palm facing forward, arm 2 moves further downward. At the same time, arm 1 rises upwards. Keep the hoop close to its intended circular path.

Step 10: Thread at hip height

Press or guide the hoop towards your hips in a controlled manner. There the hands are rearranged so that the hoop can return to the body-hugging movement.

Sequence C: Thumb Roll transition in detail

Step 11: Prepare Transition

The starting point is the overhead circular movement. As soon as the hoop reaches the highest point, release the grip and place your thumb on the inside of the hoop. Free agency remains outside of his career path.

Step 12: From the thumb into the palm circle

Let the hoop rest on your thumb for about half a turn. Rotate the hand with his movement until the hoop smoothly transitions into the hand circular movement.

Step 13: Continue or stop movement

After the transition, you can perform additional hand circles or prepare the hands for threading to the hips. Decide early on the next route so that you don't frantically grab the running hoop.

Movement sequence from the top view

The animation shows the spatial circular path and the return to the hip from above.

3. Circular movement outside the hips

In this transitional movement, the hoop moves from hand to hand at hip height without circling around the waist. She prepares further entries and exits. Practice slowly at first, paying particular attention to the position of your palms.

Movement sequence: outer circular movement

The animation shows the complete handover in front of and behind the body.

Step 1: Prepare handover behind the back

Grip the hoop at hip height with your palm facing down. Swing it sideways backwards in a controlled manner. For this handover, the receiving hand also remains aligned so that it can safely take over the hoop from above.

Step 2: Guide the hoop forward

Guide the hoop from the back handover back to the front. Both palms face downwards. The handover takes place in front of the body without the wrists bending too much.

Step 3: Next back handover

Arm 1 guides the hoop laterally backwards again. It is passed behind the back with palms facing downwards. First practice the hand position slowly and without momentum before you smoothly close the circle.

Step 4: Continue or switch circles

After the handover, you can repeat the outer circular movement or switch to an overhead movement. If you stay in the same movement pattern, the palms maintain their alignment; When changing, the hand position changes consciously.

4. Isolation

With insulation, the center of the vertically held hoop should remain as still as possible in the room for the viewer. It's not the hoop that moves around the body, but rather the hand follows its circular line, alternating between gripping and rolling.

Movement sequence: isolation

The animation makes the visual effect visible: the hoop appears to stay in one place while the hand moves around it.

Step 1: Set the bottom center point

Hold the hoop vertically in front of your body. The palm faces down at the bottom point. This bottom point and the imaginary center point determine where the circle should stay throughout the exercise.

Step 2: Arm follows the hoop diameter

Move the arm along a circular path that corresponds to the diameter of the hoop. With a larger hoop, the arm travel also increases. Do not change distance, shoulder height and pace at the same time.

Step 3: Choose a fixed reference point

Check that the hoop stays in the same space. Orient yourself either at the visible center point or at a fixed point at the top edge of the hoop. If this reference point moves sideways, reduce the movement and start again.

Step 4: Combine the gripping phase and the rolling phase

On one part of the circle you hold the hoop, on the opposite part you let it roll over your hand. Use the imaginary clock as a guide: As you move into the upper half of the circle, prepare the hand roll.

Step 5: Roll your hand under the hoop

Open the handle as soon as your hand reaches the side of the hoop. Continue rolling your hand under the hoop without dragging its center point. The fingers remain loose and out of a pinching position.

Step 6: Turn your hand and grab it again

The back of the hand rotates up in the hoop and then out again. The hand follows the same circular line while the hoop visually stops. Only grab it again when your hand has reached the appropriate position.

Practice control

At the beginning it is difficult to see whether the center really remains calm. A second person can hold another hoop in line behind it. This way you can see immediately whether your circular path deviates. Alternatively, a fixed point on a wall helps as a visual reference.

5. Leg Hooping: Elvis Move

In leg hooping, the hoop moves from the hips to the knees. There it is not kept moving with large hip movements, but with small, faster impulses from one leg or the knees.

Movement sequence: leg hooping

The animation shows the complete Elvis move from the lowering of the hoop to the controlled circular movement at the knees.

Step 1: Take over the movement from the hips

Start with safe basic hooping. Reduce hip impulses so the hoop slides down slowly. At the same time, one leg begins to prepare the new circular movement. Execute the transition in a controlled manner; Don't let the hoop fall without braking.

Step 2: Stagger feet and knees

Pull one foot back slightly so that its toes are approximately level with the instep of the other foot. The feet stay close together. This means that one knee is slightly higher and can take hold of the hoop better.

Step 3: Start circular impulse from the knee

Start with small circular movements with the raised knee. When first practicing, the rhythm can be a little faster than with hip hooping. The descending hoop should be incorporated into this new movement, not hit the knee.

Step 4: Keep the hoop moving around the raised knee

The hoop now runs around both legs and receives its strongest momentum as it passes the front. Keep your knees relaxed and avoid completely locking the joints.

Step 5: Practise the knee path without a hoop

The detailed images show the path of movement without hoops: The knee leads forward and then slightly to the side. Practice this small circle separately until you get it even.

6. Foot hooping

With foot hooping, the circular movement is carried out further downwards by the knees. This technique requires safe balance and a completely clear floor. Wear non-slip, closed-toe shoes and avoid practicing near hard edges.

Three animated views of foot hooping

The animations show the movement with one foot raised, from a wider perspective and with feet close together.

Step 1: From knee to raised foot

Start with controlled hoop rotation at knee height. Lift one foot off the floor and straighten your leg without locking your knee. Begin the forward circular motion and slowly allow the hoop to lower to the new height.

Step 2: Bring your foot outwards

From the forward movement, move the raised foot outwards to the side. The circle comes from the entire leg, but remains small enough so that you can keep your balance safely.

Step 3: Close the circle backwards

Move your foot back from the side and then forward again. This creates the complete circle. At the beginning the movement can be larger; As you gain control, you can shrink it until it almost seems like a calm back-and-forth.

7. Which Hula Hoop works best?

An easily controllable hoop is important for hand, arm and isolation techniques. A heavy fitness or massage Hula Hoop is not automatically suitable: during fast off-body movements, weight, knobs and a large range of motion can make control difficult.