By Casey Jeanite | Staff Intern
When Cyrena Lang’s husband, Dennis Conte, enrolled her in her first hula hoop class in 2010, she never thought the activity would become such an empowering part of her life.
“I had never heard of a hula hoop class,” Lang said. “I was kind of cocky, thinking I could go in there and be fine because I knew I could hula hoop, but I didn’t know that you could do more with a hoop than just put it on your waist.”
Now, Lang teaches the only Hoola-Fit Hoop Fitness class in Plant City. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, she celebrated her fourth anniversary teaching Dragon Hooper, her Hoola-Fit class.
She held a special anniversary class and offered discounts off of a number of items, from class sessions to custom hula hoops.
Hoola-Fit is an aerobatic workout that incorporates dance and hula hoops. The program is considered an American Council on Exercise (ACE) approved health and fitness program.
According to Mayo Clinic, the average woman can burn about 165 calories in 30 minutes by hula hooping and the
average man can burn about 200 calories in 30 minutes.
The Department of Health and Human Services alsorecommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or 75minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week.
Lang builds her class around her students. Named after her two pet bearded dragons, Lang’s class teaches technical hula hoop skills for students of all experience levels. Through her class, she works to inspire students to gain confidence in both themselves and their abilities.
“At that first class in 2010, I was really intimidated but I was also really inspired,” Lang said. “I ordered my first hula hoop that day. People come into my class with really (poor) confidence and after a few classes, the confidence changes.
“They look different, walk different, they’re more energized. They’ll even cut their hair off or color it bright colors.”
Lang spent two years harnessing her fascination with hoop dancing. While performing with the Hoola-Monsters, a hula hoop performance troop with roots in St. Petersburg, she was introduced to Hoola-Fit by team member Abby Albaum. Eventually, she signed up to begin the course training for her Hoola-Fit certification.
“I wasn’t that good at it because it takes a lot of patience, time and money,” she said. “But after taking time, patience and practice I’ve gotten really good at it.”
For the past four years, Lang has utilized all aspects of her expanding background in dance as well as her passion for helping others realize their hoop and fitness dreams. Now operating classes in Plant City and Brandon, Lang also attends workshops on dance to continue to aid her students.
“You never stop learning with a hoop,” Lang said. “My husband would tell me, ‘Look at the lives you are touching. If you stop, you’re letting people down.’”