Someone said to me once 'If you are not dropping the hoop or hitting yourself in the face you are not trying hard enough'. Now ordinarily I avoid pain at all costs but when it comes to hooping I don't even seem to notice until I stop.

The thing with hooping is, it's addictive but should you really be hooping on bruised limbs. Of course not! I've watched people take socks off and put them over bruised hands, so they could keep hooping. I've had clients turn up to class after using those awful weighted hoops with huge HUGE bruises. Please stop!

This is my test, if a kid came home from school with that bruise would you (A) think well they must have had a fun day, or (B) Call the school and demand to know what happened!

If the answer is (B) the bruise is so big you'd be worried about the child's safety then put that hoop down or practice a different exercise using a different part of the body.

Your body will toughen up eventually and you'll become more skilled at using the hoop. There will be less bruising. But if you are suffering from any of the below, firstly check the weight of the hoop, is it appropriate for that particular exercise?

Common Hoop Injuries

HoopHip - These are the bruises that occur when the hoop spins around the hips instead of your tummy. They are two striped down those hip bones. Try a lighter hoop and practice keeping the hoop up around the belly button, that way your activating your core too.

HoopForearm - These bruises often get the most attention because they really look a lot like a hand mark. You normally get one long bruise and several little ones that look like finger tips a. If you are already using a light hoop then it could be the speed with which you are spinning your hoop, slow it down for a bit.