Fitness goals lagging a bit? Here’s some wiggle room

When most of us think of a hula hoop, visions of campy ‘50s musicals and fifth-grade gym class dance in our heads. L.A. spin doctor Rayna McInturf would prefer we envision killer abs.

According to McInturf, who’s been teaching the art of hoop dancing (to call it “hula hooping” is totally square) for the last three years, swinging a ring around your hips is “better than any kind of sit-up regimen you can imagine. The obliques, the six-pack, all of your abdominals get worked. But really, hoop dance works every major muscle group in your body.”

This isn’t your old-school hula hoop we’re talking about here. McInturf, who’s given hoop dancing performances at Cirque du Soleil premiere parties and the Burning Man and Coachella festivals, says the larger, heavier version used for hoop dancing allows practitioners to perform complex dance moves and keep the hoop in motion for longer periods of time.

McInturf designs her own heavy hoops in an array of flashy colors, which she sells to students for $20 each.

If a jaunty new hoop isn’t enough to help students shake off the gym-class vibe, McInturf, 30, brings in a DJ to get the party started during the hourlong lessons. “When the music gets going, you just get into it,” she says. “By the end of the class, you’re sweaty, you’re worked and you can’t believe you had so much fun exercising.”

Which is not to say this is easy kids’ stuff. During the six-week, twice-weekly beginning and intermediate courses, adult students often find wiggling their hips isn’t as easy as it used to be. And McInturf’s Fire Hoop Dance Workshop, which allows experienced hoopers to step into, yes, a burning ring of fire, teaches safety tips (Hint: fire hoop outside, but not on the lawn).

“It looks impressive, but it’s really not that much different from regular hooping,” McInturf promises. We’ll just have to trust her on that.

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Hoopnotic Hoop Dance, Art Player’s Studios, 6585 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A. Twelve sessions over six weeks, $240; six sessions over six weeks, $150. Drop-ins welcome. (310) 625-0146; hoopnotichoopdance.com