As the world came to a standstill during the pandemic, a number of people incorporated different flow techniques—who can forget the primal movements of animal flow—in their workout. In fact, it was also a time when several exercise enthusiasts took to Instagram to make reels as they showcased their new favourite ‘fitness’ activity. Hula hooping is one such dynamic workout that became a fitness fad. While many might think the hula hoop is a recent introduction to the world of sports, its history goes as far back as 3,000 BC. The modern-day hoop was first marketed by American toy company Wham-O in 1958. Since then, even though hoops gained traction, it was only considered as a toy. In current times, though, a few flow artistes have been trying to reinvent and popularise the art of hula hooping.
No child’s play
“Earlier, people would ask me if it is something children do, what are you doing with a hula hoop?,” shares Eshna Kutty (25), who has been practising with hoops for the past five years. Kutty, who shuttles between East Delhi and Bengaluru, is part of a growing community of flow artistes in India. Her popularity in this art form grew with the ‘Saree Flow’ series—hooping acts performed in a sari that she posted on Instagram. In a similar vein, Anjali Roy (27) from Rohini, a freelance hula hooping teacher who has been in this profession for the past 10 years, mentions that the parents would often ask her about the difficulty levels in this discipline.
Flowing through crisis
The two hula hoop artistes also mention that hooping allows for a meditative experience. For many, the fact that it is still a toy is an added bonus. Speaking about the cathartic nature of hula hooping, Kutty explains, “When the hoop falls, the only thing you can do is pick it up and try again. The moment you finally sustain it on your body feels extremely encouraging. Even if you are having a bad day, when you pick up a hoop, it feels like getting a hug.”
Feeling ‘spin’tastic
One of the best things about hooping, Kutty shares, is that it does not require a step-by-step learning process. . “I think every person’s flow is unique and that is what makes the art form so engaging; it lets a person explore it and learn it their own way,” she says.
The only good outcome of COVID-isolation was people having time to adopt different creative art forms. “Earlier, we would have to grab people’s attention. COVID forced people to pause and learn new things,” Kutty mentions. Many men have also started picking up the hoop. “There might have been a gender bias to hooping, but now, men are slowly picking up the hoop. While many might think that hula hooping is a feminine art form, there are interesting hoop movements that men can do,” Kutty concludes. With the count of Instagram reels on hula hooping increasing every day, there is no doubt that hooping is here to stay.