The Hoopdance Workout is a one-hour long, low impact aerobic workout using an adult-sized hula hoop. I believe this workout is suitable for beginner-to-intermediate hoopers though advanced hoopers may like portions of it as a workout flow/practice session.

About me: I know it is helpful to know a little about the reviewers background when determining whether you will enjoy a fitness dvd. I am reasonably fit and consider myself intermediate to low advanced in relation to aerobic fitness. I have been hoping for about a year but consider myself intermediate (I started not being able to hoop at all as I never did as a child). I do enjoy dancing and dance workouts and have taken dance classes for years so I am fairly quick to learn choreographies and am able to get a good workout from dance workout dvds.

Intensity: I found this workout to be similar in intensity to a brisk walk according to my heart rate monitor. Those who wear a fitbit or pedometer to track steps may be pleased with the step count, as it seems to boast the highest step count of any of my workouts (I clocked more than 5,000 steps during this one-hour workout).

The Workout Structure: The total workout is a little less than one hour including a mild aerobic warm-up, waist hoping drills and instruction in both directions, an aerobic workout and a cool-down. After the cool-down, Cristabel does a short, costumed hoopdance performance. I like to dance along with her performance (no I can’t do all the moves yet!)

What I liked:
*It is a fun, low impact moderately aerobic workout.
*The workout flows well for the most part and the dvd features a well organized menu so you can go directly to specific sections if you want.
*This dvd is great for hoopers who are comfortable with waist hoping but are wanting to introduce dance movements to their hoping. It is also great for new hoopers who haven’t mastered waist hoping as she does include a great practice with tips on that—I wish I had this when I started hooping!
*The instructor cues well, breaks things down well and is very enthusiastic.

What I didn’t like:
*There is just one workout, I would have preferred a couple. Also, I think more advanced hoopers might get bored with the waist hoping section though they could easily skip it or drill chest, hip, knee or other hoping in that time.
*Sometimes the dvd moves slowly while the instructor is introducing new moves. To get a cardio workout I would job in place while hooping or continue with some of the traveling steps used in this dvd. This is just a small thing and an issue with most dance classes and dvds not just this one.
*The instructor gives good instruction on waist hoping but does not include hoping on the chest, hips or other areas or many tricks in this dvd. That is fine as it is intended as a workout dvd, but those who want more technique and tips may want to look at youtube, Cristabel’s book or other dvds or the Hoopnotica dvd series.

Instructor Comments:
The instructor cues well and is enthusiastic about hooping. She "giggles" a few times which seems a little forced to me but I think she is conveying that this is a playful, fun workout and it is alright to laugh at yourself (this is true so I forgive her but thought I'd mention it).

slysam