Check out new twist: Heavy Hoops

By BOB MODERSOHN
Register Staff Writer
04/10/2003

Alejandro Rodriguez, 10, a fifth-grader at Morris Elementary School in Des Moines, is too young to remember Chubby Checker singing "The Twist." But there he was, doing it, swinging a thick black hula hoop around his waist. Iowa students and their teachers are twisting again, but not like they did last summer. This is something new to Iowa schools. "Iowa is one of the first states to feature the Heavy Hoop workout in its physical education curriculum," said Wendy Iverson of Dallas, Texas, Heavy Hoop's inventor.

Using weighted hoops called Heavy Hoops, kids are adding some beef to twisting, stretching and jumping movements.

Steve Cox, a fitness teacher at Morris Elementary on Des Moines" south side, and who also works with Project Fit America, came up with an idea. PFA provides extracurricular programming beyond normal physical education. Cox had seen the overweight fitness tool and liked it.

"Get me some hoops," he phoned and told Iverson.

Sixty hoops were introduced to students in various Des Moines metro schools last week. Iverson also demonstrated them to fitness-minded folks at the Walnut Creek YMCA in West Des Moines.

"This is cutting-edge fitness equipment," Cox said. "The workout for adults is also great."

The Heavy Hoop training system has received praise from Dr. Ed Thomas, a national fitness expert in charge of physical education for the Iowa Department of Education.

"The hoop makes great use of the body in three dimensional motions and its weight is appropriate for both weak and strong," Thomas said. He has cited the Heavy Hoop as "breaking new ground in fitness innovation," and is encouraging its use throughout the state.

Malcolm Canada, 11, a fifth grader at Morris, found the Heavy Hoop "much heavier and harder" than a standard plastic hula hoop.

"You get a better workout," he said. He liked stepping inside it and doing kicking movements while holding it on edge.

"It's cool," said Pedro Campos, 10, who was taking turns using the weighted hoop with Malcolm.

Cox said the chubby hoop gets the heart rate up, tires muscles, is great for stretching and it's fun.

Over at Goodrell Middle School where it was also introduced, Melissa Brinkman and Patrick Lewis, both physical education teachers at Meredith Middle School, were giving Heavy Hoops "a test run" with John Walling (Healthy Choice educator at Goodrell).

They hooked up kids to heart monitors while using both regular hula hoops and using Heavy Hoops and observed a marked difference with the three-pound weighted hoops.

As Brinkman said after working out on the Heavy Hoop, "You can feel it across your midsection."

"I got tired, I had to stop," said Lewis. "It burned some fat today, I'm sure."

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