We had an amazing opportunity to do some fire dancing on FOX13, to help promote our upcoming Fire Dance and Safety Workshop. Check out the awesome clip here:

Our next fire dance class takes place on March 7 at NOVA 535 from 5-7 p.m.

Register Now

Learn more about our upcoming events and workshops here.

With so many children out of school right now (no PE, no play dates with friends), it’s more important than ever to keep ’em moving, playing and inspired through fun fitness. That’s why I’m so pleased to bring you Kids Fitness Classes At Home!

For those who may not know… I’m an ACE-Certified Youth Fitness Specialist. In addition to teaching kids hula hooping, I also offer circuit-style Kids Fit Classes and Kidding Around Yoga.

Just click this image to learn more and register:

I’m also a firm believer that fitness should be affordable and attainable for all. With that said, I make living as a fitness instructor (all of my classes are now cancelled) and as an event vendor and entertainer (all of my events are cancelled too).

It goes without saying that I’d greatly appreciate the $10 per class fee, but if you can’t afford it – please let me know. I don’t want financial constraints to prevent your child from exercising with me. Just send me a message, and I’ll do what I can. I’m offering a limited number of class passes to families in need.

And if you’d be so kind to SHARE THIS POST and TAG FRIENDS WITH KIDS, I’d greatly appreciate it. Let’s keep our kids healthy (both physically and mentally) during these stressful times. The little ones feel what’s happening in our world, and they need a healthy outlet too!

Also, because of the platform I’m using, you’ll need to register for classes in advance. It’s super user-friendly, so just click the link below for all the details. I can’t wait to see your little munchkin soon.

Grab your spot here: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1/2444mum

The BuzzFeed story is live! And this one is different than past media coverage I’ve received. It tells my real story – the truth about how hoop dance changed my life and why I’ve made it my mission to share this art form with others. Take a look:

Depression affects so many people. Some of us hide our pain behind smiling faces. I did that for years… Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Healing isn’t linear, either, and different things work for different people.

For me, it’s hoop dance, creative self expression, meditation, clean eating and reaching out to those who I love when I need support. I used to see a psychiatrist regularly, and I was on antidepressants too for a while.

Depression is scary, but you don’t have to go through it alone. If you or someone you know suffers in this way, PLEASE ask for help. Some great places to start are the National Alliance for Mental Illness American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Believe that healing is possible. Notice which healthy habits make you feel good and do more of that. Be open, and you might find your life change in totally unexpected ways. I’m not saying it will be easy. I’m saying you’re worth it.
#youarenotalone

*To protect my family’s privacy, some elements of my story have been changed.*
Click here more information about hooping and healing.

Hey Hoopers! I’m so excited to bring you a totally FREE hula hoop fitness webinar. Why am I doing this? Because I’m a firm believer in the power of play and creative self expression through hoop dance. Hula hoop fitness benefits are legit, and I’m on a freaking mission to bring the art form to more gyms, fitness centers, schools and dance studios worldwide.

Simply put… More Hoop Dance Teachers = More Joy Spreaders!

I’ve been teaching hula hoop fitness for more than a decade, and I’m so excited to share this info. with you!

Here’s what you’ll learn:
→ My 7-step strategy to teach safe, fun and effective hoop fitness classes
→ Which hula hooping moves promote maximum fitness results
→ Why Hoola-Fit is the ONLY hula hoop teacher training program in the US approved by the American Council on Exercise
→ How to build a local hoop dance community and rock sold-out classes

You’ll also gain access to an exclusive Hoola-Fit discount code strictly for webinar attendees. Just click the image below to grab your spot in my FREE training 🙂

BIG NEWS!

You can now experience a hula hoop workout (actually, a whole series of them) in the privacy of your own home!

It’s been a long time coming, friends! I’m SO EXCITED to announce that online Hoola-Fit classes are now available! You no longer need to be a St. Pete local to enjoy the fun fitness benefits of modern day hoop dance. Here are a few reasons to give Hoola Fitness a spin:

💫 According to the American Council on Exercise, Hoola-Fit burns an average of 420 calories an hour.
💫Fitness experts agree that if you find an activity you enjoy, you’re much more likely to stick with it.
💫 Modern day hoop dance is a mind/ body/ spirit practice that promotes coordination, balance, and cardiovascular endurance.
💫 Side effects including smiling, laughter and a joyful state of being.

You don’t need a “weighted” hula hoop for hoop dance fitness. I repeat: You don’t need a “weighted” hula hoop for hoop dance fitness, and I’m on a mission to drop this terminology.

Handmade hoops are what started the hoop dance and fitness phenomenon. Most hoop makers like myself use a variety of different tubing options so we can size people appropriately. Handmade hoop sizing is based on these factors: height, body type, experience level and flow style (in other words, how you intend to use the hoop). The larger the diameter, the slower the hoop spins which makes it easier for on-body hooping. Small, lightweight hoops work best for off-body technique because they provide less stress on the hands. Hoop sizing works like surf boards in the sense that, we go smaller and lighter as we get more advanced. A small, light hoop also provides a faster rotation which equates to increased cardio during on-body hooping.

Simply put: no one needs a hoop that weighs more than 2 pounds.

I’ve been teaching modern day hoop dance for more than a decade (I’m the creator of both Hoola Fit and Hoola Monsters), and one of my biggest hurdles is re-educating new hoopers on what equipment is needed and effective for hula hoop fitness. There’s been a lot of misinformation circulated in this regard, which I’ll address momentarily. But first: let me give you some hoop history:

Modern day hoop dance is an emerging art form that stemmed from the use of handcrafted hoops. It began in the mid ’90’s when a jam band known as The String Cheese Incident started tossing large adult-sized, handmade hoops out into the audience during their concerts to get people moving, dancing and having fun. In the hooping community, Anah Reichenbach is considered the “Mother of Modern Day Hoop Dance.” Anah, along with her hula hoop performance partner Christabel Zamor, helped to pave the way for hoop dance as we now know it. (Side Note: Christabel is my original teacher, and she was the creator of one of the very first hula hoop fitness programs).

From there, the hoop community began to form. Burning Man was also a catalyst for hoopers to gather, connect, share tricks, and push the art form forward. By the mid 2000’s, the hula hooping craze was going strong. Actresses like Marisa Tomei and even former first lady Michelle Obama were in on the action. Still… we are talking about handcrafted hoops that weighed no more than 2 pounds.

Fast forward to 2011. The American Council on Exercise took notice of the hoop fitness trend and conducted a comprehensive study to determine if hooping was an effective workout or “just child’s play.” Sixteen women between the ages of 16 and 59 were evaluated while hula hooping with handmade hoops. The participants averaged 151 heart beats per minute, burning an average of 420 calories an hour hooping [source: Goodman]. To put that in perspective, the average 154-pound (70-kilogram) person burns approximately 220 calories during a half hour of heavy yard work or vigorous weight lifting [source: CDC]. Simply put, the study found that hooping with handcrafted hoops is considered an “excellent form of fitness.”

It was then that fitness equipment companies jumped on the trend and started to mass produce “weighted” hoops. This is when things got muddy. Along with the mass production of “weighted hoops” came the mindset that the heavier the hoop, the better it is for fitness.Three-to-five-pound, mass produced, “weighted hoops” hit the marketplace with a vengeance, along with hoop fitness programs that incorporated this super heavy equipment. And guess what? ALL of the programs that used mass produced “weighted” hoops have now fallen by the wayside. Why? I imagine it’s because spinning a hoop that’s too heavy for a person’s body type is likely to cause injury. Hooping is supposed to be fun, not painful.

Weighted hoops in the three-to-five-pound range can cause serious bruising. I’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty. Mass produced, weighted hoops can also result in pinched nerves, and even internal bruising. The Yonsei Medical Journal reports that a woman sustained a Perirenal Hematoma (bleeding around the kidney) after continuous use of a hoop that was too heavy for her body type.

Unfortunately, the problem of “weighted hoops” still exists for hoop fitness instructors like myself because we’ve had to do cleanup work ever since they hit the market. I’ve personally refused to make and sell hoops to customers who’ve requested hoops that weigh more than 2 pounds. I’ve turned down large orders in an effort to make sure that my students and customers are safe and set up for success. I won’t stand behind a product that could potentially cause more damage than good.

So, what do you actually need for hula hoop fitness? Here’s a short and sweet video I made that breaks it down:

About the Author: Abby Joan Lee Abby is the founder of both Hoola-Fit and Hoola Monsters – Florida’s first full service hoop dance company, which specializes in handmade fitness hoops, hoop dance classes and performances. A play professional and fitness pro for more than a decade, Abby is an ACE-Certified Youth Fitness Specialist and ACE-Certified Group Fitness Instructor who also holds certifications in Les Mills Body Combat and Cardio Kickboxing. A hoop dance educator since 2007, Abby has taught the art form to thousands of people of all ages. She’s also spent years developing, testing and implementing her training programs. Her mission is to inspire and empower hoop dancers worldwide.

Real Talk: I’ve had body image issues for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Florida, pool parties were the norm. I remember, as a kid, I was always so embarrassed to be seen in my swimsuit. And my biggest insecurity was my belly. I’ve never been one of those girls with a tiny waist and well defined curves. Then, as time went on, so did my weight battle. The scale was constantly fluctuating, and I tried every diet under the sun. I gained; I lost, and this viscous cycle continued for more than a couple decades.

In fact, this time last year, I was only 2 months into my weight loss journey when I realized that I finally found something that worked for me. The 2-month mark was pivotal because that’s when I allowed myself to step on the scale (I refused to weigh myself for the first two months of my journey because I didn’t want to obsess over it)… And after my first “weigh-in,” it became clear that the pounds were literally melting off.

If you would have told me that I’d be posting a shirtless pic on my website a year later, I would’ve said you were crazy. And yet – here I am: 5 pounds under my original goal weight, and 35 lbs down total. I never thought I’d be in the best shape of my life at age 39, either. But I’m here to tell you (and show you) that anything is possible.

Here are my biggest takeaways from my weight loss journey, along with some steps to success that I hope you’ll find helpful:

Step 1: Make the Commitment to Change. The power of your mental state is everything! Get clear on your goals and what you want to accomplish. And don’t go crazy. Start small. Consider hiding the scale in the beginning too. Focus on how you FEEL instead of how you look.

Step 2: Create a Plan that’s Sustainable and that Works for You. Different things work for different people. Take my younger sis for example. She’s big on calorie counting, and she writes down everything she eats. She lost 60 pounds, and that’s what works for her (but I fell flat on my face with her method).

As for me, I practice a clean ketogenic lifestyle. What does that mean, you might ask? I eat low carb, high fat, and foods that are nutrient-rich (meaning loads of leafy greens, organic low carb veggies, sustainable seafood, eggs, nuts and berries). I also practice intuitive eating, which is just a fancy way of saying that I only eat when I’m hungry and if I want to do a carb-up because I feel low energy, I’ll do it. Intermittent fasting also works really well for me. And bulletproof coffee gives me life. It’s just a tablespoon of grassfed butter, a tablespoon of MCT oil, almond milk, coffee (and cinnamon if you want) in a blender. That will keep you full all morning, and it promotes mental clarity.

Side Note: I know this may be a lot to digest (pun intended) – so you can pop into my Keto Fit Tribe Facebook Group to learn more. We’ve got some great free resources in there, and it’s just a good, old-fashioned community-based group intended to support one another. Good vibes only!

Prior to starting the Keto Diet, I tried everything and I constantly felt like I was failing. Plus, as a group fitness instructor and performance artist, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be fit for my job and I was beyond frustrated.

The reason Keto was a game-changer for me is because, by being fat fueled, I stayed full longer. I was no longer munching and anticipating my next meal. I’ve also never felt deprived. Case in point: I eat chocolate every day. It just has to be 90% cacao or higher. Or it has to be Lily’s – my favorite sugar-free chocolate brand – (and no, I’m not endorsed by them but I totally want to be so they’ll send me free chocolate ;).

So… here’s my recommendation: Do some research on different diet plans to determine what will work best for you, your lifestyle, and your body.

Step 3: Move Your Body! Fitness experts agree that you’re much more likely to stick with an activity that you enjoy! In other words, you don’t need to do workouts that you hate in order to get the results that you want. Trust me… if someone told me that I was only allowed to run, for example, instead of doing the exercises that I love (like hula hooping and kickboxing), I’d be feeling frustrated all over again. But when you find an activity that excites you… you’re going to want to keep doing it! Did you know that, according to the American Council on Exercise, hooping burns an average of 420 calories an hour?!? Yep! And you get to smile the whole time you’re doing it. I’ve even got some free tutorials to get you started, and here’s where you can purchase a great priced beginner hoop.

Step 4: Meal Prep. Regardless of what plan you choose to follow, be sure to plan out your meals so you aren’t in a situation where you’ve got “nothing to eat,” in which case you might opt for food that’s not on your plan. That can put you into a downward spiral so super fast. You don’t need to be an award-winning chef to prep healthy food either. There are plenty of quick and easy recipes that you can find on Pinterest. I always keep a variety of raw nuts, string cheese and seaweed snacks on hand for quick grab-and-go situations, too. But take the time to plan out your meals and portion them so you don’t have to worry about it.

Step 5: Lay off the booze. Seriously. If you want to see real results real quick, ditch the alcohol. If you do decide to indulge, opt for low sugar drinks (like vodka/ soda) or a glass of French Bordeaux. Notice how I said glass and not bottle?!? 😉

Step 6: Don’t Give Up! Even if you fall of track, pick yourself back up and start fresh again the next day. And with the holidays just a couple short weeks away, my suggestion is to START NOW.
Honestly, I think starting a diet plan before the holidays will set you up for success in a massive way. You will feel UNSTOPPABLE after refraining from temptation during the most indulgent time of the year. I cut out sugar the week before Halloween, and I was so proud of myself for doing that. It helped me keep the momentum up! So, get your head right. And if you can make it through the holidays and stay on track, you’ll have a huge jump on things in the New Year! Again, whatever you do… don’t give up!

I hope you found this helpful, and I’m sending you so much love and positive vibes. You got this!
XOXO,
Abby

Abby here! I’ll admit… I was scared to death the first time I stepped into the studio to teach hoop dance.

It was more than 10 years ago, and I’d never taught group fitness before. I literally taped my notes to the mirror, and I worried that I wouldn’t do the art form justice.

Hooping had transformed my life in the best ways possible, and I felt as though it was my duty to share it with others (even if it scared me). Hoop dance caused me to become more physically fit; I also attribute this powerful movement meditation practice as my main healing mechanism from depression.

Still, I had my reservations…
What if I’m not good enough to teach?
What if people don’t take hooping seriously?
How do I teach flow (the transcendent state of being where one loses sight of space and time, becoming one with the moment)?
What will keep my students engaged and coming back?
What will I do if an advanced hooper walks into my class of beginners?

These were some of the thoughts that consumed my newbie hoop dance teacher mind. Now, here we are: a decade later and I’ve turned my passion for hooping into a full-time career. In doing so, I’ve since it made it my personal mission to inspire, motivate and spread joy to others through this powerful art form.

It’s my vision to bring hoop dance to more gyms, dance studios, fitness centers and schools nationwide, and I now do this by helping people step into their power as hoop dance educators. There’s no reason to go through the same growing pains that I did.

Simply click here to join me for the free master class.

Before: July 2017 After: May 2018

I’d love to tell you that hula hooping was the primary factor for my weight loss. My ETSY Shop would be sold out if that were the case! But, unfortunately, I can’t make that claim. (Side Note: If you want to talk about someone who does credit an even greater weight loss to hula hooping, you can read Heather’s story here).

Don’t get me wrong… being active is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and I guarantee that I would have had much more weight to lose had it not been for my fitness regime (which includes hoop dancing, kickboxing, teaching kids’ fitness, and daily walks).

The thing is… I’ve been an athlete my whole life. I even played college tennis, and I’m a certified group fitness instructor. And as a performance artist, I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to look a certain way. But for the last 10 years or so, I’ve been struggling with weight gain. I started to pack on the pounds and couldn’t figure out why. I was hitting the gym, and I was “eating right” (or so I thought). Still, I gained.

Then, in August of 2017, I went shopping for my wedding dress. With my mom, sisters, and best friend bridesmaids surrounding me, we had the teary-eyed “this is the one!” moment. But there were two problems: 1) The gorgeous Hayley Paige dress was out of budget and 2) It was about 4 sizes too small and didn’t zip up.

So, a week later, when the very same dress was marked down exponentially during a trunk sale, I had a big decision to make: Do I let the dream dress get away or Do I purchase it with the understanding that I’d either need to add a corset back or lose a shit ton of weight? I took a chance and chose the latter. This dress was my weight loss motivation:

The amount of weight that I’d need to lose seemed like a huge hurdle, but I began to log my food in a diary, meticulously count calories, and amp up my already-strenuous workouts – even though none of these things had worked for me in the past. Then, in divine timing, a friend asked if I’d ever heard of the Ketogenic Diet. “It’s a high fat, low carbohydrate way of eating that turns the body into a fat-burning machine vs. the traditional glucosamine burning system that most Americans run on.” I was intrigued but had my reservations. I’d tried the Atkins Diet years ago, and I didn’t think living off of cheese and bacon was the way to go. Plus, I’m Pescatarian – meaning that the only meat I eat is sustainable seafood. I’ve eaten this way for more than a decade, and without meat, I thought it was going to be so hard to make the Keto lifestyle work for me. But here’s the thing… it wasn’t! I love to cook, and being a vendor at the Farmers Market made it super easy to pick up organic, fresh veggies on a weekly basis. So, I gave it a shot… and the pounds literally started to fall off!

I called my way of eating “Clean Keto” – I upped the healthy fats (like bullet proof coffee, coconut oil and macadamia nuts) and I completely ditched the sugar and cut carbs down to 30 per day. Leafy greens, sustainable seafood and healthy fats became the backbone of my diet. The first couple of weeks were tough, but then – amazing things started to happen! Not only did the weight start to fall off, but my carb and sugar cravings decreased exponentially.

My body clearly showed me that sugar was the enemy in disguise… All this time, I thought I was fueling my body with healthy foods – eating low fat/ low calorie (and choosing things like a granola bar over an avocado, for example, due to fat content). But I was wrong! Other amazing changes began to occur also… my hunger cravings were drastically reduced; I was hardly ever sore after my workouts (no more inflammation!); I no longer had cramps each month; my skin totally cleared up, I was experiencing more mental clarity, which increased my work productivity, and my overall energy level increased. Then, it all made sense…. I realized that Fat doesn’t make us Fat! Sugar & Carbs were the culprits throwing my body out of whack (and when I say sugar, I mean the sugar that hides in things like pasta, rice & bread).

I became so passionate about my new way of life that I even started a Keto Fit Tribe of my own. Feel free to join our group for recipes, support and motivation (we aren’t selling anything – it’s just good, old-fashioned, community support). And when I showed up for my wedding dress alteration appointment two months before my wedding, I was shocked when the dress zipped right up. It fit like a glove, and I couldn’t believe it! We didn’t need to add that corset back after all.

I’m so grateful that Clean Keto changed my life! I’ve been eating this way for almost a year now, and it’s been the best thing that I’ve ever done for my health.