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blogging, creativity, depression, Ginger Calem, goals, Hoop-Lah Fun & Fitness, Hula-hooping, Jennifer L. Oliver, novel, time managment, work-life balance, WritersButt, Writing
I’m sore and slightly bruised around my midriff. My hips are stiff and ache when I stand. I have every desire to soak my tortured body in a nice hot-tub, letting the jets massage my back with bubbles while my mind drifts in relaxation. But I can’t.
Not while Big Momma’s waitin’ for me.
Say hello to Big Momma.
The little one is the size of a normal hoop like you’d buy from the store. Big Momma has water inside and is wrapped with tape to help with grip. She’s also heavier than your average hoop. Work with her for just a few minutes and you’ll feel the burn!
Big Momma and I collided yesterday at the park. She got the best of me at first. But by the end of the day, I had her swinging round and round like the blades of a ceiling fan on a hot day in Louisiana.
Yep, that’s right. I hula-hooped. And I’m gonna keep on hoopin’ every day for the next three weeks. Why? Because I’m completely insane determined to get in shape and be active.
You might remember a few months ago I wrote a guest post over at Ginger Calem’s blog. There I shared how my weight-gain had affected my life and how I wanted to change things.
Well, since then I’ve lost 11lbs, and I’m positive I would have lost more and felt even better if I had kept following the WritersButt challenges. Even though life does get in the way of our goals sometimes, I know it is ultimately up to me to continue making the time and the healthy choices.
I think part of the reason I fell back into some of my bad habits was because my goal – to lose weight and get active – wasn’t specific enough. Or rather it wasn’t suited to my strengths and weaknesses. See, I work best under pressure and when I’m held accountable for work under a deadline.
Knowing this about myself, I had to figure out how to get myself motivated and disciplined to meet my goals. It wasn’t until I kept seeing my friend, Michelle’s pictures on Facebook that things really started to take shape.
Michelle Whitley is the owner of Hoop-Lah Fun & Fitness and she’s hoop-tastic! Just check out the videos on her website – that’s HER doing all that. Not only is she getting in some great exercise, she’s having a blast doing it! That’s the kind of thing I need to get me motivated. So I caught up with her at the park, where she showed me some basic moves. (And introduced me to Big Momma!)
By the time I got home, I had tons of energy and felt great. I showed my daughter and husband everything I learned. Even my granddaughter wanted to play with the hoops. I was in the best mood. And even better, the physical activity motivated my muse.
I decided right then and there that I was going to get back on track with my health. This time I had to have a goals and a deadline. And to keep me motivated, I’m adding hula-hooping to some WritersButt challenges. So every day for three entire weeks, I am going to drink 100 oz of water, hula-hoop for at least 30 minutes, do 10 Potty Squats and 10 Potty Push-ups every time I visit the bathroom.
Sounds easy right? Yeah, well my first run in with Big Momma proved that wrong. And drinking 100 oz of water a day is not an easy feat. Let’s not even talk about the squats and pushups. Whew!
This is going to be tough and it’s gonna hurt. But it is completely worth it. To feel the way I did yesterday, to smile and have so much fun… yeah it’s totally worth any amount of torture Big Momma spins my way.
Have you hula-hooped before? Would you do it again and how about in a class or group? I’d love to hear your adventures with hooping!
Magic, Mayhem and Everything In Between 
Nice blog! I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
You can find me here: http://lynnthompsonbooks.blogspot.com/
I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
Thanks for connecting, Clay!
I love this post.
In Dec. I did my first ever bootcamp–I hear you on those squats. OW!
The hoops look like they would be fun!
Diana
Hi Diana,
Ohh, bootcamp… hear those were tough! Did you enjoy it? I’m not ready for one of those yet, I’ll just stick to the hoops! lol!
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds like great goals and it sounds like you’re enjoying yourself even though it’s tough. That’s the important part. Have fun and it’ll stick. I love to swim, so I’ll be starting that up soon. Have fun and much success to you!
I would first like to say that I don’t know anything about what happens after back surgery, but I do know that exercise is a tremendous help for controlling pain. Among other things, I hurt my lower back and left hip in a car accident (the right one, too, but to a lesser extent). When I do my stretches and use my treadmill every day (for 20-30 minutes), I’m pretty much pain free…and no one – not even me – can tell I was ever in a car accident.
That said, I’m excited to read about your hooping experience! Like I’ve already told you though, hooping for me is nothing more than a glorified way to do toe touches. 🙂
But you’ve inspired me. I’ve been slacking off the treadmill so…if you can hoop for 3 weeks, I can ‘tread’ for 3 weeks. Not sure what the potty squats and push ups are though. I know Ginger explained the squats to me at some point, but I’ve forgotten. Do you actually sit down, or stop just shy of sitting?
Also, IF I were to try to hula hoop again, after I get the pain under control again…are you using a weighted hoop? Because the one I have weighs about 2 ounces.
I’ve never hurt my back, thankfully, but I have several friends who have. It all sounds very painful to me.
I’m so excited that you’re going to tread while I hoop for three weeks! We can keep each other motivated. 🙂
Potty squats are basically squats in the bathroom (after you’ve finished your business that is! LOL!). I stop just shy of sitting and I do 10 every time I’m there. After drinking 100 oz of water – you can only imagine how many times I go during the day. So there’s quite a bit of squatting going on!
The push-ups I do using my bathroom counter (because my bathroom is tiny!) and I put my heels up against the wall. I do between 5 and 10 of those. Best part about it is that it takes hardly any time at all to do these mini-workouts!
Yes, I do use a weighted hoop. My friend Michelle makes them to go along with her classes. Big Momma is a training hoop. It’s weighted and filled with water. But the bigger the hoop, and the heavier ones, tend to be better for beginners and for exercising. 🙂 I have one I picked up from the store that feels as light as a feather and I can’t keep that one spinning at all. LOL! One day, though, I’ll get there. 🙂
What Jennifer said. Just can stop just shy of the seat, or tap and go. You can also do these on a low chair, or coffee table. I suggest the toilet (lid closed!) because it helps you remember to do them every time you use the bathroom. And like Jennifer said, if you’re getting those 100oz of water a day, you’ll be in there a lot. I suggest keeping a tally. You’ll be quite happy when you go to bed to know you did, say, 100 squats and 50-100 push-ups! Bam!! 🙂
Thanks, ladies. Right now I think I’m just going to work on making the treadmill a daily, more regular habit, along with some light weights/curls, and pushups against the wall. I’d say I’m 85-90% recovered now, but I still have a bit to go for some of the exercises. 🙂
The water…I REALLY need to work on that. I have trouble getting 60 ounces in every day…and that’s pretty much all I drink. There will be an occasional Vernor’s (ginger ale) binge for a day or three…however long it takes to finish a 2 liter bottle, but mostly it’s just water, or herbal tea. But not enough of either to come close to 100 ounces. I may have to wait until warmer weather. The more I drink, the colder I get. 🙂
I found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect
Thanks for stopping by, Annamaria!
Wow! I’m impressed. Big Momma is one scary hula hoop. Good job keeping her spinning. And congrats on losing eleven pounds. Maybe it’s less than you wanted to lose, but it’s still an achievement.
Hi Pat! It is indeed an achievement, and I’m quite happy with it. I still have a ways to go, but its a good start! 😀
Big Momma is huge, isn’t she? LOL!
Sounds awesome Jennifer! You sound so excited! I would love to be able to hulla hoop again. Due to back surgery that is not an option for me but, you go girl!
Popped over from the WLC Blog Follow program on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
Thanks for connecting with me, Tammy!
Hoopin’ has been the best way I’ve found to get sore and have fun all at once! LOL!
Oh, back surgery – that’s gotta be tough. Hope you it all works out and you feel better soon. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
I know you can do it Jennifer! And I love the Hula hoop. It is a great form of exercise. I think it’s great to do something you love in the process of a workout. Keep it up and give us progress reports so we can cheer you on! 🙂
Thanks, Karen! I haven’t looked forward to being active like this in a long time. I wonder what Michelle put in that hoop to make it so addictive, hmmm… lol! I’ll definitely keep you updated.
I, too,hear the joy in your voice !! Keep up the good work, girl. We all need some fun as well as exercise in our lives…and you’ve found a way to combine them ! Proud of you !!
Thank you! 😉
Jennifer, I can totally hear the joy in your voice when you talk about Big Momma. And it reminds me of how much I loved hooping when I was a kid. Hmm, I’ll have to see if I can rearrange some furniture to make room for an occasional hooping event. They say the key to keeping up with exercise is to find something you love to do — based on this post, I think you’ll do great!
Thank, Lynette! I’m having a ton of fun hooping. I think it’s because when Big Momma gets a hold of me, I don’t think about the dishes taking over my kitchen sink, or the laundry monster growing in my utility room. I think solely about getting this hoop to stay on my hips and not on the ground. And I get to do it in the sunshine while listening to music and laughing my butt off. Hooping lets me be a kid again. I think we all need that somewhere in our lives. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my gosh, Jennifer, this post has me grinning from ear to ear!!! You GO!! So incredibly proud of you. I love the energy and determination in your voice and I’m always here for support and cheerleading! My daughter has asked for a weighted hula-hoop. She’s quite the little hooper!
Keep at it. Every day is a victory. Every journey begins right now! WOO!!
Aw, thanks Ginger!
Between your potty squats and Big Momma, I think I can definitely feel every single muscle in my body right now. LOL!
Thank you for your support!