THE LOWER EXTREMITY KINETICS OF HULA-HOOPING: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION In hula hooping an unstable object is kept in steady oscillation parallel with the ground by means of coordinated oscillations of the body [1]. The physical basis of the skill is the conservation of angular momentum, whereby carefully regulated impulses create a state of dynamic equilibrium. A vertical component of the exerted impulse opposes the force of gravity, whereas a horizontal component maintains the angular motion of the hoop. Previous research argued that concurrent oscillatory motions of the hips and knees create these impulses thereby satisfying the functional constraints that characterize the skill [1]. The purpose of the present research was to conduct an inverse dynamic analysis to determine whether the mechanics of hula hooping generated conclusions similar to the decompositional kinematic analysis previously reported [1].