Hooping for Fitness, Fun, and…Learning!

A hoop is a large, thin, circular, often plastic ring that is twirled around the waist, limbs, or neck of a person, for the purpose of fun, entertainment, exercise, and/or learning. Hooping goes back a long way in human history. It has been a type of exercise and play from 500 BCE, up until the present day. In 1957, Australian bamboo ‘exercise hoops’ were adapted in the design and manufacture of 42-inch ‘hula hoops’ made of Marlex plastic. They became an instant fad across North America. Nowadays, hoops come in a variety of sizes, and can be built from a variety of materials. Moreover, the activity is now called ‘hooping’ (or ‘hoopdance’)—and not ‘hula hooping’. During the past few years, the activity of hooping has seen a re-emergence in many regions of the world, particularly among young people. This presentation will describe the mechanics of hooping; discuss some of the benefits of hooping for health and well-being; explore how hooping can be applied in the classroom to promote learning (particularly the learning of certain important principles of physics); and examine how hooping might be applied to help meet other classroom needs.