Looking for a new atmosphere and somewhere to burn extra calories at the same time? The hula hoop club may just be the answer.

Hoop Club is devoted to “hooping,” learning tricks and having a good time.

“It’s a very laid back atmosphere, there’s no worries while you’re hooping,” said Poojya Anantharam, sophomore in biology and president of Hoop Club.

Anantharam became the president of the club when former president Christina Lauritzen graduated. Lauritzen founded the club last spring semester.

“I was really interested in hooping,” Lauritzen said. “I looked for a club at ISU, didn’t find one, so I found out how to start one and did.”

After Lauritzen started the club, she found a group of her friends that would participate with her. The group included Anantharam and Christa Harbacheck, junior in kinesiology and health, who is also still in the club.

Although Lauritzen graduated, she still lives close to Ames and instructs club members at the meetings.

“I was hesitant at first, but surprisingly it was pretty easy, most people pick it up on the first try,” Harbacheck said.

The meetings begin with stretching. Next they do exercises with the hoop and then Lauritzen teaches them different tricks. They end meetings with pairing what they’ve learned with music.

“It’s really easy going, if you don’t want to learn tricks, you don’t have to,” Anantharam said. “If you just want to mess around feel free, we all just kind of do our own thing.”

Don’t worry if you have no experience — Lauritzen taught herself via YouTube videos.

“We have mostly beginners in the group, with a few people here and there that know a few tricks,” Lauritzen said.

One of the newest members to the club is Teresa Shiflett, senior in civil engineering. Last week was her first meeting.

“I really enjoyed it; it was a great way to relieve stress and have a good time too,” Shiflett said.

Shiflett’s interest in hooping began when she saw a hoop group at a musical festival while doing an internship in Northern California.

“I’d never seen anything like it before, I was amazed by their tricks, and they all had killer abs,” Shiflett said.

While studying abroad in Scotland, Shiflett joined a hoop club and went to classes and workshops.

“I would tell everybody to come at least try it,” Shiflett said. “It’s something new that’s silly but also a good workout.”

Hoop Club is a unique form of dance, but it is also a good form of exercise.

“I’ve heard that hooping burns 100 calories in ten minutes,” Lauritzen said.

If you don’t have a hoop, you’re still welcome. Lauritzen makes and decorates her own hoops as well as makes hoops to sell to club members — $15 for vinyl and $20 for ones with sparkles.

Lauritzen suggested not using the hoops used by children. Instead, participants need an adult hoop, which are heavier and wider than children’s’ hoops for better circular momentum.

“People always say they could never hoop,” Lauritzen said. “Well, I’ve never witnessed anyone that couldn’t pick it up within the first 10 minutes.”

In the near future, Hoop Club hopes to start doing shows and events. But currently, they don’t have enough members.

“You can have two left feet and still hoop,” Anantharam said.

Hoop Club

When: 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays

Where: 198 Forker

Dues: $5 per semester

For more information, contact Poojya Anantharam at [email protected].

Step-by-step instructions for vertical hooping

1. Put your hand out, palm facing up

2. Place the hoop in your palm

3. Use other hand to turn the hoop

4. Let the hoop spin around hand

5. Grab and spin or twirl hand to make hoop keep spinning

— Information from Christina Lauritzen

Instructions for making your own hoop:

1. With some tubing, bend the tubing together

2. Connect the ends by heating them and making the plastic stick together.

3. Put tape over the connection — you can use decorating tape to make it look nicer.

4. Decorate the hoop how you want.

— Information from Christina Lauritzen