Findings of the week

Took up hula-hooping (a kiddy one for £3, I'm not buying a sodding weighted £25 one if it turned out it would just gather dust after two tries) because I'd heard something vague about it being good for burning calories, and I needed something as it wasn't like I could cycle during the downpours of the last few months. Being freezing, soaked and mud-spattered is not my idea of fun. You get much colder and muddier on a bike than you ever do jogging. Discovered that you get bored in about two minutes and it's bloody frustrating doing about six loops and seeing it drop to the floor. Kept at it whenever my computer froze or I got bored - essentially, about 2-5mins a day. Got better at keeping it up, as you do when you do something regularly.

Was poking my upper abs earlier this week as I've always had fairly decent ones due to carrying a heavy bag, and they'd recently got a bit more defined. Discovered that definition is appearing *below* my belly button. Which has never happened. Not when I was boxing, or even when I was a size 12 on my arse when I was jogging like mad one autumn. When hula-hooping, noticed that you could see said lower abs flexing. So, yeah, there's still a bit of flab over them, but... lower abs.

So: hula-hooping for 5 mins most days gives you better abs than regular sit-ups and crunches and planks, without the pain, sweating or nagging feeling that you're not doing it right. Oh, and your lower back is a bit firmer. Bonus.