It is amazing how playing with a simple plastic hoop can make you not only slimmer, but smarter, healthier and happier too.  Here a 9 ways using a hula hoop can benefit you.

Muscle Toning
While waist hooping (the move that most people think of when they think of hula hooping) is great for toning your abdominal muscles there are also many moves which involve your arms and legs giving a whole body workout.

Heart Pumping
Hula Hooping is an aerobic activity that increases your heart-rate and boosts your fitness.

Brain Growing  
Learning and practicing new skills builds new brain matter, and increases the speed and strength of the brain.  A number of hula hoop moves also involve crossing the midline of your body which builds pathways between the left and right sides of the brain.  Many hula hoop moves build on previously acquired skills.  Taking a familiar movement and introducing a variation also stimulates the left and right sides of the brain to work together.

Enhances Co-ordination
Hooping is all about timing and rhythm and with repeated practice it will improve your coordination

Improves Flexibility
Hooping requires significant motion especially in your spine which can help prevent back injuries.  Hoop moves such as the weave are also very good for improving shoulder flexibility.

Stress Relief Aid
Learning a new skill helps you to focus on the present moment which is a key aspect of meditation.  The combination of focused time for yourself and physical activity calms your mind, releases feel-good chemicals in your body and is an effective way to reduce stress levels.

Confidence Building
Acquiring new skills builds confidence.  Learning to do something new gives you the confidence to try other new things.  You can do it!

Massaging
Waist hooping has a massaging effect on your abdominal area and may help improve digestive health, and reduce bloating, constipation and period pain.

Convenient
You can hula hoop inside or outside.  You can hula hoop while you watch television.  You can hoop walk down the beach.  You can join others and hoop in a park.  You can get a travel hoop and tuck it away with your luggage, and see how many different places you can hoop in.

So what are you waiting for – get hooping!

image of Emma Stone from: http://www.pickywallpapers.com/female-celebrities/emma-stone/emma-stone-orange-dress-and-hula-hoop-picture/