Throwing my weight around

I decided to stop procrastinating and take out the kettlebell this week. I picked up the set/kit/box o' super heavy a ways back but for some reason was hesitant to try it. I am thinking it was a mix of sick/feeling better/semi sick/repeat plus over thinking the effort it would take to start. Silly, I know but overall not feeling well was the major reason. While I am not feeling 100%, a little extra activity will always make me sleep a bit better. I expected the DVD in the box to be a workout dvd but it ended up being a 10 minute demo. Routine fail! Clearly it was showing the proper way to hold and the specific moves but I found myself thinking that they should have at least had it as a 10 min routine - ie both sides not just one. I did learn the basics which is good but I do foresee myself looking for a full out routine based DVD eventually. I ended up doing a mix of

• marching warmup aka watch the cats freak out


• short set of squats - or at least what I was calling that since I don't know technical jargon w the 5 lb kettlebell


• short period of fast hooping


• back to the kettle bell w more squat-ish stuff - that is my technical term for now


• another period of hooping but mid tempo


• short set of curls w kettlebell


• another period of slow hooping


• slow march to mid temp walk cool down w stretching

Overall it was less than a half hour. I was worried I'd be sore but so far so good. I think it was because while I did do something I kept it simple, a small amount of time and did not overdo it. Plus I am now walking a total of approximately 13 miles a week. Walking a mile now feels like barely anything to me now which is a great feeling. I know this will eventually help when I am able to run another 5k. Right now finances is making me wait but I know there will be one that is a mix of good registration cost, great charity, and overall fun.

You spin me right round like a.... hoop?

I had numerous hula hoops as a kid. There is probably at least once somewhere in the shed at my parents place. I found one on top of our shed that was left by the previous owners. The elements got to that one though. Did you know that if you clip the edge of a bench with a plastic hoop it will explode into several large-ish pieces? Honest, truth. There are pictures.

Back when I was part of a craft group/online circle, I was introduced to hooping, hoop dance, and the general resurgence of it being more than just for kids or some sort of "hippie festival thing." Some of the people started posting pictures and videos which made me stop and think why not? I was the kid who would start up and not let the hoop drop for at times a good twenty minutes. It was fun before so it'd be so now as well.

I ended up buying a handmade hoop from a coworker of a friend, dragging it home on public transportation (wishing I had a camera that day!) and got started. While it is the same elements as the kid ones, adult hoops are larger and therefore a bit heavier. I have seen actual weighted fitness hoops as well. While there was the fitness aspect to it (hoop at a fast tempo for a long time and you will feel it in your butt and hips,) I was thinking of the dance part as well.

I took a hooping class last summer. It was a mix of fitness and dance but heavier on the dance which was fine with me. I did learn a few tricks but also that it is easy to throw a hoop across a room, whap yourself in the head but most of all that I loved it once again. This summer I am hoping to work on my tricks a bit more in the safety of my backyard. (No worrying then will happen about hitting the TV in our living room!)

Florence + the Machine is a fav of mine to hoop to and while I have no videos I found a few to share. It shows how different it can be done as well.