The hula hoop question

A weighted hoop burns roughly what a brisk walk burns. As a fat loss tool it is unremarkable. As a reason to move for twenty minutes without dreading it, it is one of the most effective things in the room.

Adherence beats intensity

The best cardio is the one you do on a day you did not feel like doing any. If music and a hoop get you there four times a week while a treadmill gets you there once, the hoop wins on arithmetic alone.

What it will not do

It will not spot-reduce your waist. Nothing does. The inches that come off come off in the order your body decides, and hooping does not get a vote.