Here's why you are seeing hula hoop workouts all over TikTok

YOUR FAVORITE OG PLAYGROUND ACTIVITY WILL HELP YOU BREAK A SWEAT *AND* BUILD STRENGTH. AND, OH YEAH, IT'S A TOTAL GOOD TIME.

- ZOË WEINER

As far as summer fun must-haves go, it doesn't get more classic than the hula hoop. But if yours has been collecting dust in the garage these past few years, it's time to bust it out and try one of the most fun fitness routines out there.

What used to be just a mindless way to pass the time has turned into the internet's trendiest workout. Since keeping the hoop in the air requires a whole lot of core engagement, it's a great way to build strength in your abs and back (which, by the way, are two of the most important areas in your body, since they're quite literally at the center of every move you make)-as well as your hips, knees and ankles.

"Hula hooping requires you to stabilize laterally and to maintain the rotation of the hoop forward to back and side to side," says FitOn trainer Bree Koegel. “This motion employs the lower body from the core down to the toes to activate on each rotation."

Not only does hula hooping help boost your balance and build overall strength, but it's also a killer cardio workout: Studies show that you can burn 210 calories during a basic 30-minute hooping workout (that's 420 calories an hour, which is right up there with running). Ready to get hip to hooping? Let's go!

HOOP IT UP