Phat Hoops = fit fun

• What: Phat Hoops Fit.

■ When: 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

■ Where: MyFit Nation, 14407 N.E. 13th Ave. #18, Vancouver.

■ Cost: First class is free; $7 drop-in; $50 for 10-class pass.

■ Alternatively: To participate in the at-home 30 Day Phat Hoops Challenge or for more information about Phat Hoops, visit www.phathoops.com or www.facebook.com/phathoops.

Sandra Elton was 10 when she last picked up a hula hoop. But a demonstration at the Clark County Fair last summer encouraged the 67-year-old to take up hooping again.

The demonstration showcased a local woman’s fitness hula hoops, called Phat Hoops, and promoted a new exercise class at MyFit Nation in Salmon Creek — a 45-minute workout using the hoops.

“It looked like a lot of fun,” said Elton, who lives in Felida.

Now Elton spends her Wednesday evenings getting a core workout, and sharing a few laughs with others, at the Phat Hoops Fit class.

“I like it, and I like the teacher a lot,” said Elton. “She’s really supportive, even though I can’t keep it up.”

‘We have fun’

Ridgefield resident Trina Latshaw created Phat Hoops several years ago. She and a friend found an old, handmade weighted hoop and spent many of the following evenings hanging out, drinking wine and hooping.

Since they only had one hoop, Latshaw decided to build another. And when other friends saw the hoops, they asked for their own. Because of all of the interest, Latshaw decided to build a fitness hoops business.

Phat Hoops are made with 1-inch piping filled with water and wrapped with colorful tape. The hoops have a diameter of about 38 inches and weigh about 2 pounds. They cost $35.

Children and adults use the hoops — Latshaw’s youngest client is 4, the oldest is 82 — but the hoops appeal most to women ages 45 to 65, Latshaw said.

“It’s mostly people who used to hoop when they were kids,” she said.

People purchasing the hoops often asked Latshaw if she had a fitness class.

“I’m not an instructor,” she said. “I can hoop all day, but actually teaching a class was not in my comfort level.”

After enough requests, though, Latshaw started to float the idea by a few different fitness centers and instructors. She connected with Melissa York, owner of MyFit Nation, and Alysha Wilson, a Zumba instructor at the center. Wilson came up with a 45-minute fitness class, and MyFit began offering the class last summer.

Wilson had never heard of Phat Hoops until she met Latshaw, but she was quick to get on board with the new class.

“I used to love to hula hoop when I was a kid,” Wilson said.

While the class includes a significant amount of hooping, Wilson also leads participants through other movements using the hoops.

She begins the class with stretching. Then participants start hooping, first standing still, then while holding their arms out or doing other arm movements.

Wilson leads the class through squats and lunges and challenges them to try walking and spinning — all while hooping. They change up the speed at which they’re spinning their hoops and switch the direction the hoop is moving.

The class closes with arm exercises, several series of sit-ups and crunches and some more stretching — again, all using the Phat Hoops.

“We have fun. We laugh,” Wilson said. “It’s OK to drop it. We joke the biggest workout is picking it up off the ground.”

Wider orbit

Latshaw and her 15-year-old daughter, Julia Bradford, attend various fitness-related events to demonstrate Phat Hoops and are working with various partners to expand Phat Hoops Fit.

In November, Latshaw began working with One Team, an after-school program, to incorporate Phat Hoops Fit classes into the programs for elementary school students in the Battle Ground school district. Latshaw hopes to see the class spread into other districts.

“I love it being in the schools,” Latshaw said.

To encourage people to exercise with their hoops, Latshaw has organized a few 30-day challenges through the Phat Hoops Facebook page, www.facebook.com/phathoops. For the challenges, Latshaw creates a hooping regimen that gets more difficult throughout the month and includes rest days. A new challenge starts today.

Anyone who wants to participate can print the schedule and do the workouts at home. Throughout the challenge, Latshaw posts words of encouragement on the Facebook page to keep people motivated.

Phat Hoops is also teaming up with the Portland nonprofit Brian Grant Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting those with Parkinson’s disease, to promote fitness among people living with Parkinson’s.

Latshaw has noticed changes in her own fitness since using the hoops.

After regularly hooping, she shaved 2 to 3 inches off her waist and noticed a more toned tummy. The constant hip and spine movement also helped strengthen her lower back muscles, she said.

Now she hopes to help others get fit while enjoying a fun childhood pastime.

“It’s so exciting,” Latshaw said. “It’s so cool to see it blossom.”