Hoop dance

Hula hoops are no longer something for children to play with in the back garden. Suzanne Savill discovers how the old-fashioned toy is being used in a new type of exercise class in Bristol

When she was a little girl, Emilie Rowell had a green and white hula hoop.

"I enjoyed it and would spend time hooping away in the back yard," she recalls.

"I didn't realise then that you could do more than hooping at the waist."

Now Emilie, 32, has about 30 hoops, in colours including pink, blue, red, purple, black and white – plus others in fluorescent colours which glow under ultra violet lights.

And not only can she spin them around her waist, but she can also twirl as many as three around parts of her body ranging from her feet to her shoulders.

Emilie was inspired to learn hooping as an adult after seeing Grace Jones play at Colston Hall last January.

"She was phenomenal with her voice, energy and outrageous fashion, but the thing that really blew me away was seeing her hoop her way through Slave to the Rhythm with her stunning outfit," says Emilie.

"I thought to myself: I want some of that! I went out and bought a hoop but I didn't get anywhere with it. I now realise that it was too small and light."

Undeterred, Emilie decided to find someone to teach her and found Emma Kerr's "Hooping Mad" class on Facebook.

"Once I'd tried with an adult hoop I was hooked," she says.

"Hoop dance, or 'hooping', is completely different to the 'hula hooping' people may remember from childhood.

"The hoops are bigger and heavier than kids' ones. In hoop dance we use the hoop on different parts of the body, from the feet to the shoulders, incorporating dance moves and simple circus tricks.

"Enthusiasts call it the new yoga. It can be used to meditate, relax, have fun, feel sexy or simply as a form of exercise.

"Hooping can burn as many calories as running. It builds stamina and core strength, and it offers a low impact, cardiovascular workout.

"You can learn to hoop on different parts of the body and hoop dance puts these moves together to music, burning up to 100 calories in 10 minutes as you work core stability muscles."

Emilie is now running her own hooping classes for mums in Bristol, which have been designed with Emma Kerr of Hooping Mad.

"It's gaining popularity fast," says Emilie, who lives in Clifton and is a relaxed birth and parenting teacher.

"Hooping is quick to pick up, and most people who think they can't hoop are able to get it in the first session, which can be a real confidence builder.

"Hooping is great for mums in so many ways, as it's calming, playful and builds body confidence.

"As well as looking sexy, it helps build pelvic floor muscles which can lose strength in pregnancy.

"It's good for parents to be able to play, too – it makes life much more fun and it's great to do with your kids.

"It can be a surprise to see how good it feels to learn new tricks and also how easy they become in a relatively short period of time.

"The feedback has been really positive from everyone and it's so lovely hearing that when they get home the kids are excited to see what their mums have learnt."

Most of Emilie's students have bought their own hoops so they can practice at home.

"It's possible to practice at home, indoors or in the garden," she says.

"Hoops are very portable, as you can even get foldable hoops which mean you can do it almost anywhere."

Emilie was inspired to hold her hooping classes for mums because of her own experiences when she was pregnant with her son Freddie, who is now aged four.

"One of the things I most missed in pregnancy and the early stages of parenting was dancing," she says.

"I hadn't realised how much it was a part of my life until it became harder to go out to clubs and gigs.

"Part of my inspiration for this class was to create a space for mums to meet and dance that fits in with family life."

Freddie himself is now learning hooping – and is impressed by his mum's hooping skills.

"Now that he's starting to get the hang of it too, it's becoming more and more fun to share with him," Emilie says.

"I bought an LED hoop a while ago and it got the most amazing 'Wow' reaction from him.

"Also, tricks with more than one hoop seem to be most impressive to a four-year-old!

Emilie Rowell's hooping classes will resume in September, when she will be holding a six-week course at Pilates Moves in Southville. She is also hoping to hold day and evening classes at other venues in the Bristol area.

For more information or to register interest in classes, go to www.motherslove.co.uk or call 0753 604 9097.