Long gone are the days when jumping through hoops had a negative connotation.
Instead hoops are associated with a fun, low-impact, cardio workout that is known to be great for weight loss – unless, of course, you are averse to all forms of fitness activities, then this would definitely be like jumping through hoops both figuratively and literally.
Fitness hula hooping can look quite intimidating at first glance, but Flowground, the first and only centre in the UAE that provides hoop flow classes along with Poi (a type of performance art), is heavily focused on building a community out of it.
Rana Habayeb, Flowground partner and hooping instructor, describes Flowground as, “a space for like-minded flow seekers, beginner and advanced, to form a community that is inclusive, open-hearted and focused on spreading the love of flow arts and the flowing lifestyle that comes with it”.
Despite coming from an interior design background, Rana began dabbling in hoop flow after experiencing a personal trauma and found her true calling in it.
Ever since then she has embarked on a mission to spread a message of love and encouragement.
“Hula hooping is about joy, catharsis and breaking boundaries. Boundaries that hold us back from reaching our full potential, both mentally and physically. It is about ridding yourself of judgement towards our body, so you can freely express yourself,” she said.
Hula hooping consists of a wide range of movements that works on your core and improves your overall body strength, balance, flexibility and spatial recognition.
In 2011, the exercise and health programme at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, ran a study of the calorie-burning potential of hula hooping and found out that the subjects burned nearly 210 calories during a 30-minite hooping session.
The heart-rate responses, average oxygen-intake and overall exercise intensity was then compared to other forms of exercises like power yoga, cardio kickboxing and step aerobics, and the researchers arrived at the conclusion that not only is it an excellent form of exercise, but fell well within the accepted guidelines for workouts that contribute to weight management.
Hula hooping is also considered to be a great therapeutic activity for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and is also known to be effective in alleviating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
“You either fall in love with hooping or you don’t, there is no middle ground with this. The flow community in Dubai has expanded to over 300 hoopers, poi performers, jugglers and everything in between. The community is very active and can be seen at every outdoor event now without fail,” she said.
On how her involvement with hoop has changed her life, Rana said, “I have been able to travel and meet people from all walks of life and communities from every corner of the world. I worked on and created programmes here and in Toronto, where I got to work with Syrian refugees and kids with spectrum disorders.”
“I have been inspired by people who successfully overcome their shyness, self-doubt and insecurities through this wonderful activity. I have also witnessed people overcoming physical barriers following strokes and partial paralysis, and get better over time. Because of hooping, I am surrounded by love and my days are filled with gratitude,” she added.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned hooper, Rana insists that everyone should come see her and try her classes, if they have any doubts.
For more information on hooping and poi classes, you can log on to www.flowground.com or and follow them on Instagram @flowground.
