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Hula Hoop Fun Facts

The hula hoop, a popular toy in the 1950s, is a classic today. You've likely tried the hoop-shaped toy, counting the rotations as you attempt your best score. But hula hoops aren't just kid's toys; they have been used for exercise, dance and meditation for people of all ages.
  1. History

    • Wham-O was the first company to market the hula hoop--officially the Hula Hoop--in 1958. The idea came from hearing about Australian children using a bamboo hoop to exercise in gym class. The company demonstrated the use of the Hula Hoop to children in Southern California, giving out free Hula Hoops for them to learn. It was patented March 5, 1963. Hula hoops have been around since ancient Egypt, where children played with hoops made out of dried grapevines. Later, the ancient Greeks used hula hoops for exercise.

    Greatest Fad

    • The Hula Hoop name came from the hula dance, a hip swiveling dance practiced in Hawaii. It is said to be the greatest of all fads, as Wham-O sold 100 million Hula Hoops in the first year of production. Sales quickly dwindled after that and almost brought down its producer, Wham-O. The company had accelerated production of the toy to meet demands and took a hit when that demand plummeted. Wham-O stopped producing the toy until 1965.

    Records

    • In 2009, Aleysa Gulevich, a circus performer, broke the record for most hula hoops swiveled simultaneously. She used 107 hula hoops and completed almost five revolutions. Gulevich has set three world records with hula hoops, with 99 and 104 hula hoops in the past. She is said to be planning to improve her record. The largest hula hoop spun was set in 2007 by Ashrita Furman of New York, with a measurement of 5 m.

    Performance

    • American Indians use hoops made of reeds in their storytelling. The hoops are said to represent the circle of life as well as different animals. Several hoops are used in their dances to narrate the connections and changes in life. Since the 1960s, hula hoops have been used in performances in circuses. Shows consist of contortionist acts, acrobatic numbers and dances that use multiple hoops. An example of this is performances by Cirque du Soleil.

    For Health

    • Hula hooping is a cardiovascular exercise that can burn between 400 and 600 calories per hour. It also tones many muscles in the upper and lower body. Hula hoops have been used to help people lose weight and improve balance and coordination. Also, hula hooping has been used to relieve stress. Besides the connection of exercise relieving stress, the repetitious motion of using the hula hoop can calm the mind, much like meditation. The use of a hula hoop for exercise is being incorporated into gyms, dance studios and even a video game on the Nintendo Wii.


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