Frequently asked questions Q: How heavy is the Betty Hoop?
A: About 2.5 pounds.

Q: I own a hoop with knobs on the inside and have gotten bruising and pain in my belly. They say that a hoop with knobs on the inside stimulates the meridians in the body but I have experienced bruising and pain in my body. What should I do?
A: The rotation of 2 pounds pushing and pulling around your midsection is enough. The internal knobs on hoops can leave internal and external bruising. I believe that they over stimulate cysts and can lead to incontinence. The knobs can compress the vertebrae and pinch nerves. It feels like being punched in the gut.

Q: If I want a hard workout should I use the hoop that is hardest to keep up?
A: The safer and easier your product is to use, the better & harder your workout can be. The more integrity you have while in motion, (awareness or posture, rhythm and breath) the more effective your workout will be. The hoop should fit you like a perfect pair of shoes to give you maximum comfort. Then you can excel.

Q: I use a heavy hoop at my gym. It weighs about 5 pounds. It is much easier than the light toy store hoops. It hurts my belly and knees. I want to continue hooping though. Any suggestions?
A: The heavier and larger the hoop, to a certain degree, the easier it is. Think of throwing a 10 pound ball in 1 direction, over 200 times. You might be able to throw it many times but after a short while it will be too hard. You would compress your lower back & neck to lift the weight. Your posture would sink into your hips as you try to stand tall because you probably would not be using your core. Same theory with a very heavy hoop. The force of 3 pounds or more pushing and pulling around your body is too much rotation. If you learn how to breathe, isolate and integrate muscles correctly, you will get a much deeper workout.

Q: What is your opinion of hoops filled with water?
A: Water filled hoops will leak or evaporate. More importantly, the water will change the timing of the hoops’ spin, making it difficult to connect to the circular rhythm and control the hoop.

Q: How long have you hooped without stopping?
A: About 4 hours

Q: How many handmade hoops have you made?
A: Since 1998, over 14,000

Q: How long does it take to make a hoop?
A: About 40 minutes; I measure pipe, cut, fill with sand and crystals, heat both ends to connect, wrap with colored tape and wrap with bubble wrap to mail.

Q: In which direction do most people hoop?
A: Mostly counterclockwise. About 1% hoop clockwise. It has nothing to do with if you are left or right-handed. It might be a hemisphere thing.

Q: Is your Hoop Dance Therapy program really good for weight loss?
A: Yes. It burns about 600 calories every hour. 100 calories every 10 minutes. It’s low impact and consistant cardio with isolating, toning and integrating every muscle in the body. It enhances athletic performance, builds core strength, coordination, balance and cardio / respiratory endurance. It also integrates dynamic movement and stabilization which can be incorporated into any sport.

Q: How do you keep the hoop going while you snowboard?
A: Physics and internal timing. I use my center of gravity to find balance while I pivot my lower body around the center of gravity. I use my core strength to initiate the outward, level thrust needed to keep the hoop spinning. I use internal timing so that my turns are in synch with my hoop. I ride goofy (right foot forward) so for my toe side turn, I thrust forward with my right hip and the left side of my torso. On my heel side turn, I sink down into my heels and glutes while pushing my lower back into the hoop.

Q: How do you run with your hoop?
A: I push my belly into the hoop with almost every step forward. This maintains the speed of the hoop. I try to keep my spine vertical without bending over my hips. If you look at most runners who train, they are short in the waist from leaning forward with their torso. My Athlete Training Program teaches how to run forward from the core and not from the top of your body. It is easy to over-rotate on the knees, so I try to keep most of the forward thrust in my belly and take smaller strides to keep my legs close to my center. The hoop doesn’t wobble as much that way.

Q: How many times do you think the hoop has revolved around you in one hour of hooping?
A: This is a great question. My hoop rotates about 2 times per second so that is 120 revolutions per minute and 7,200 revolutions per hour. This would be like doing 7,200 crunches while getting an upper and lower body workout simultaneously.

Q: How is your collapsible Dance Hoop different from the other collapsible hoops?
A: I designed the 6 total segments to fit people from about 130 pounds to 220 pounds & 6 feet tall. If you remove one segment, kids can use it. Because of its segments, it has more flex. It acts as a shock absorber for your rigid forward thrust. It hugs the body and makes it easier to learn and to advance in your workout. It does not have a bungee like the handmade collapsible hoops. It has a button that internally pops out to hold both ends together.