Having just settled back onto the soil of my country of origin after a long hooping sabbatical in the forest, I’m finding myself in the midst of this big city life where it can be difficult to find environmentally-friendly-hoopspiration & SPACE TO HOOP! Walking the streets of DC, Metro’ing through the Bethesda suburbs, or driving the oft-aggressive avenues of Baltimore can take a tall toll on a human hooper with a country soul. As I walked my sister’s dog this morning pondering the pavement & locale-malady, I realized that the best cure what ailed me was to get into my hoop, and stat. If you have the fortune of a large, open space in your residence, you are all set to hoop it up with any sized hoop you please. However, if abode space is limited or you have fragile items around that could easily be knocked over or break with the smallest of hoop kisses, you still have a viable options to consider in order to maintain your practice & play. The first of which is to gear up in your warmest and least-bulky attire and take your hoop/s outside. Most ideal & important winter hoop-garb: thin layers that are snug to your body, a hat, and gloves with some definite grip and digit-flexibility. Active hooping outside actually warms you up surprisingly fast…and it’s a surefire joy for witnessing passers-by, too! A second option is to find a studio that allows you to use there space for either a nominal fee or even for free! If you already pay for a gym membership, ask them if there is a time and space in which you could play with your hoops, aka: “your preferred fitness workout.” Frequently there are non-peak hours when studios are not being used and you can easily sweet talk your way into them. Your gyms want you to use and make the most of them and most importantly to get fit, so let them provide this service to you! You can also check out your local community rec centers for good empty studios or gymnasium space. If you live in an apartment or condominium, do not overlook the option of hooping in furniture-free hallways or common areas not otherwise in use. If these spots do not afford wide enough spaces, you can use it as an opportunity to practice your hand/arm hooping with smaller to mini-sized hoops. Traversing a long, empty hallway back and forth with hoops a’spin on arms & hands allows for both a long distance of practice/play (you could even hoop with a pedometer affixed to your shoe!) and, as HoopPather’s would say, the ever-so-important “flight time” accrual as well. Changing up your normal hooping environment goes way beyond staying active during the coldest months of the year… It’s also a solid way to bring forth different styles and skill-sets, as well as to further stimulate & strengthen your brain by creating fresh sensory associations in the form of: new surrounding sights, a change in terrain under your feet &/or wind against your cheeks, or simply being exposed to new sounds and smells while spinning your disparate brain hemispheres into more logically soulful sync~

Do you have fav spots to hoop in cold urban environs? If so, do let us know!