lose it

there is a lot of growing hoopla about hooping getting you into shape.  buckle up for a rant.

sure, it does, just like any other exercise, if you do it with some consistency and break a sweat.  i also think it is unique in the way that it can be surprisingly full body exercise.  it is, indeed, my favorite form of exercise.

but, i’m getting really tired, really quickly, of this notion that this is what hooping is all about, that this is the main reason for hooping.  articles/interviews emphasize it as a weight loss panacea; i’ve heard about classes that don’t seem to do anything hoop-related except boring waist movement, like it is just some jazzercize bullshit with a striped contraption.  and lots of talented hoop teachers i know emphasize the weight loss aspect in their promotional materials.  i don’t blame them for trying to get clients but can we please do this differently?

the u.s. is full of behemoths because we eat shitty, prepackaged food dripping with fats.  our idea of an appropriate meal size is enough to feed a whole family elsewhere.  and, we spend an inordinate amount of time watching mindless crap on tv or searching for porn on our computers.

you want to lose weight?  put the fork down, kill your tv, and get off your ass.  enjoy movement, with or without a hoop.  and, recognize that health is a thousand times more important than trying to meet some ridiculous idea of sexiness pushed by advertizers who just want you to feel guilty so you will part with your money.

so here is my request: if you are a hoopteacher or hoop evangelist, new or aspiring, do us all a favor and emphasize some other aspect of the experience.  please? losing weight and getting in shape are certainly benefits of getting your groove on, but making it the focus is like saying you should read because it is good exercise for your eyes.  if we all started doing this, we could keep this thing we love from being diminished into a fad fucking diet.

you know i’m right.