About the TheraHoop™ Designers

The TheraHoop™ was created by two board certified Naturopathic physicians and Licensed acupuncturists practicing in the Northwest United States . These two doctors are dedicated to providing quality health care to their patients. They strive to design unique programs related to diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, lifestyle and over all health aimed at treating the root cause of disease and promoting longevity and a constant state of health and well-being.

Dr. Robert Madda and Dr. Cara Phillipo spent the last five years exploring creative, effective methods of exercise aimed at invigorating the vitality of the body. In their search to devise a therapeutic system for moving and massaging the core of the body while also offering a physically challenging exercise that was meditative and grounding … the TheraHoop™ was created.

The TheraHoop™ has been tested clinically over the past three years with great testimonials from their very own patients suffering from a myriad of health conditions.

The TheraHoop™ and Chakra Balancing  

You may be asking yourself … “ What in the world is a TheraHoop™ ??” Well, the TheraHoop™ is a new, innovative way to exercise and obtain optimal health created by two physicians. The TheraHoop™ is an oversized, adult-friendly, rendition of the “ hula hoop ,” many of us knew and loved as children. The specific weight, diameter and thickness of the hoop make it an incredible workout and therapeutic tool. The weight and surface area of the hoop make it ideal for adult use and easy to maintain the rhythmic movement for an extended length of time. The TheraHoop™ offers a myriad of health benefits to its users. The hoop can act as a form of exercise, a meditation, creative expression, dance, etc. Everyone can hoop regardless of age, size and sense of rhythm. Give it a try!

The TheraHoop™ was created by two doctors of Naturopathic and Chinese medicine dedicated to designing a unique program of exercise aimed at longevity and treating the root cause of disease and degeneration of the body. Dr. Robert Madda and Dr. Cara Phillipo spent the last five years devising a therapeutic system for moving and massaging the core of the body while also offering a physically challenging exercise that was meditative and grounding. The TheraHoop™ was established and has been tested clinically with great testimonials from their very own patients suffering from a myriad of health conditions.

The basic movement of TheraHooping around the hips churns and accelerates the movement of energy in the auric field and accelerates the spin of energy centers in the body called “chakra's.” With this movement, the root and sacral chakra's are opened and this primal energy begins to freely circulate in the body.

The root chakra, located at the base of the pelvic girdle is known to resonate with a slow vibration and the color red. This chakra is related to the spinal column and kidneys and correlates with the right to being in the material world, survival, physical sensation and passion. In this root chakra area of the body, we allow ourselves to move more instinctually and to feel our deep roots into the earth. When you move the TheraHoop™™ around your root charka you can connect to a more primordial self and move from a deeper core instinct.

The second chakra or sacral chakra, is located under the bellybutton and resonates with the color orange and the sound “ooo.” This energy center relates to our ability to feel emotions and receive pleasure as well as the right to desire, sexuality and ambition. Movement around this center is very fluid and correlates to the reproductive and lymphatic systems. TheraHooping around this area can help build self-confidence and a renewed self-respect.

As you move in your TheraHoop™, visualize the opening of these two energy centers and feel the energy rise to infuse the other five chakra systems with fluid and positive energy. Clinically, the TheraHoop™™ has been prescribed as an adjunctive therapy for those suffering from mood depression with patients reporting an uplifting feeling and positive outlook on life after 20 minutes of being in the TheraHoop™.

Anyone can TheraHoop™ regardless of age, size and sense of rhythm. Of all the people who have tried the TheraHoop™, from ages five to eighty-five, skinny, obese, male, female … very few were unable to hoop with a small amount of practice. All it takes is the “I can” mentality.

For more information, contact www.therahoops.com

The TheraHoop™ and Women's Health  

You may be asking yourself … “ What in the world is a TheraHoop™ ??” Well, the TheraHoop™ is a new, innovative way to exercise and obtain optimal health. The TheraHoop™ is an oversized, adult-friendly, rendition of the “ hula hoop ,” many of us knew and loved as children. The specific weight, diameter and thickness of the hoop make it an incredible workout and therapeutic tool. The weight and surface area of the hoop make it ideal for adult use and easy to maintain the rhythmic movement for an extended length of time. The TheraHoop™ offers a myriad of health benefits and is highly beneficial to the female reproductive system.

Overall, much of the therapeutic value of TheraHooping is due to the mere exercise component. The TheraHoop™ focuses its movement around the abdominal mid-line stimulating and massaging many of the vital organs, especially those in charge of digestion, elimination reproduction and hormone balance. TheraHooping is also a fun, therapeutic and preventative type of exercise that has the ability to improve your over all sense of health and well-being!

TheraHooping is highly beneficial for the female reproductive system. We live in a society where many woman tend to sit in an office all day long and then sit again on the couch when they get home. This constant sitting combined with the forces of gravity causes the blood to pool in the pelvic cavity. In Chinese medicine, this phenomenon is called blood stagnation and is the premier cause of the most common gynecological complaints including hormone imbalances, PMS, dysmennorhea, infertility and menopausal symptoms. Movement in the pelvic area is crucial to a healthy reproductive system! Pelvic movement keeps the blood moving freely through the reproductive organs and nourishes the female reproductive system, helping to eliminate many common female complaints.

To modern medicine and the fashion industry, the lower abdomen and female reproductive system are often seen as the “problem areas” for many women. The TheraHoop™, is a workout tool designed by doctors to restore health to the entire body. The TheraHoop™ is being used by many gynecologists as an adjunctive therapy to improve their outcome in the treatment of PMS, infertility, dysmenorrheal, chronic infections, menopause and many other common female complaints.  

Anyone can TheraHoop™ regardless of age, size and sense of rhythm. Of all the people who have tried the TheraHoop™, from ages five to eighty-five, skinny, obese, male, female … very few were unable to hoop with a small amount of practice. All it takes is the “I can” mentality.

For more information, check out www.therahoops.com

e-mail therahoops@gmail.com

or call 415-464-7184

The TheraHoop™ and Exercise  

You may be asking yourself … “ What in the world is a TheraHoop™ ??” Well, the TheraHoop™ is a new, innovative way to exercise and obtain optimal health. The TheraHoop™ is an oversized, adult-friendly, rendition of the “ hula hoop ,” many of us knew and loved as children. The specific weight, diameter and thickness of the hoop make it an incredible workout and therapeutic tool. The weight and surface area of the hoop make it ideal for adult use and easy to maintain the rhythmic movement for an extended length of time. The TheraHoop™ offers a myriad of health benefits to its users. The hoop can act as a form of exercise, a meditation, creative expression, dance, etc. Everyone can hoop regardless of age, size and sense of rhythm. Give it a try!

The TheraHoop™ was created by two board certified Naturopathic physicians and Licensed Acupuncturists practicing in the Northwest United States . These two doctors are dedicated to providing quality care to their patients and design unique programs related to diet, exercise, lifestyle and over all health aimed at treating the root cause of disease and promoting longevity and a more constant state of health and well-being. Dr. Robert Madda and Dr. Cara Phillipo spent the last five years devising a therapeutic system for moving and massaging the core of the body while also offering a physically challenging exercise that was meditative and grounding. The TheraHoop™ was established and has been tested clinically with great testimonials from their very own patients suffering from a myriad of health conditions.

Overall, much of the therapeutic value of TheraHooping is due to the mere exercise component. The TheraHoop™ focuses its movement around the abdominal mid-line stimulating and massaging many of the vital organs in charge of healthy digestion, regular reproductive cycles, strong immunity, optimal metabolism, weight loss, etc. TheraHooping is a fun, therapeutic and preventative type of exercise that has the ability to improve your over all sense o bf health and well-being! TheraHooping is an exercise like you've never done before. It's unique, FUN and can lead you into a state of bliss. When was the last time you said that about your workout? According to Steve Jordan, an educator with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, "...you're building the body from the inside out with gyrating and core-stabilizing movements." ( NY Daily News , 7/21/04 )

As we have known for centuries, exercising our bodies a few times per week is one of the most important keys to health and longevity. For many of us, exercise can seem like an obligation … yet if we shift the perspective ~ exercise can be seen as an opportunity to have fun and improve our health. Make no mistake: TheraHooping is a workout. Hooping is an aerobic exercise that will tone your abdominal muscles, increase cardiovascular stamina and strengthen the very core of your body. Tests have shown that TheraHooping can burn up to 110 calories in 8 minutes, that is as many calories as running an 8-minute mile. The TheraHoop™ is the perfect tool to shift the paradigm of exercise into pure joyfulness. It is a chance to stretch ourselves in every direction ~ physically, mentally and spiritually.

With the TheraHoop™, you can trade your old ideas about exercise in for a new and exciting way to get your body into incredible shape, while experiencing a sense of vitality and well-being. If your goal is better health, a boost in fitness, or weight loss … TheraHoops can show you the way to success. TheraHooping gets your body moving, raises your heart rate, challenges your core muscles, breaks down fat deposits around the midline, and burns plenty of calories. TheraHooping will work you out.

TheraHoops are currently available at www.therahoops.com . Put on your favorite music, get in the TheraHoop™ and begin churning your way to a healthier you! If you are not currently active and have no medical reason to remain sedentary, start with 5- minutes of hooping per session. Each week, add another 3-5 minutes to your workout. Before you know it you will be looking forward to turning on your favorite music and using the TheraHoop™ as a workout tool for 20 minute sessions. A TheraHoop™ DVD is in the early stages of creation and will soon be available to assist you on your TheraHooping journey to a healthier and happier you!

Anyone can TheraHoop™ regardless of age, size and sense of rhythm. Of all the people who have tried the TheraHoop™, from ages five to eighty-five, skinny, obese, male, female … very few were unable to hoop with a small amount of practice. All it takes is the “I can” mentality.

For more information, e-mail therahoops@gmail.com

TheraHooping Basics and Advice

  TheraHooping Basics ~

Begin by placing one foot forward and one in back. Hold the hoop in your hands pulling it against your back tightly. Twist your body and the hoop to one side and then turn quickly to the other projecting the hoop around your body on a level plane.

As soon as possible, begin shifting your weight forward and backward between your forward and back legs, rocking the pelvis. Try to match the hip movement and momentum with that of the hoop. When the TheraHoop™ is against your back lean back and as it contacts your abdomen push the hoop forward. Give yourself some time when you are alone and practice for 10 minutes. Almost a sure guarantee ~ you will master the basics of TheraHooping within that time.  

TheraHooping Advice and Ideas ~

•  You can experiment with setting an intention before beginning your TheraHooping exercise. Some examples may include, “May I release fear,” “May I soften where I am tense,” “May I have a good time while exercising.”

•  TheraHooping can help to open the heart chakra by keeping the chest lifted and open. This increases structural support, energy and blood flow.

•  Flex your abs as the TheraHoop™ hits them to keep them strong as well as to increase precision and velocity.

•  TheraHoop™ with your breath . Breathe deeply and rhythmically. Try to correlate these breaths with the hoop rotation for a meditative experience.

•  Try to pay close attention to where the TheraHoop™ contacts your body to expand your sense of kinesthetic sensation.

•  TheraHoop™ in both directions to develop muscles in a balanced way and to increase brain nerve coordination and conduction.

•  Dance in the TheraHoop™ . Once you have the basic hip hooping down, begin to play with movements of your arms and legs. Try walking around and dancing a bit while hooping.

What is a Therahoop™?

A therapeutic off shoot of the “hula hoop” specifically designed at a diameter of 12 ft. and a weight of 750 grams thereby allowing virtually anyone to enjoy the health benefits of this exercise. Unlike the smaller, lightweight conventional hula hoop marketed to children, this special design enables adults to maintain this exercise for an extended period of time.

Why is it good medicine?? The physiology behind the benefits of the therahoop™ come from the stimulation of the internal organs (including the liver, spleen, kidney, intestines and reproductive organs); thereby increasing blood flow, facilitating efficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues while eliminating wastes from these organs on a cellular level. The health benefits of therahooping include a vast array of health concerns from PMS and weight loss to menopause and depression.

• Pelvis/seat of vitality-feminine power
• Empowering – claiming your power
• Meditation – not only is this an exercise it's an opportunity to move your body and unblock obstructions
• Free the pelvis
• “Movement is life and stasis is death”
• According to the Chinese map of the body, therahooping stimulates the Dai Mai or Girdling vessel that encircles the body at the waist, binding the twelve primary channels of the body and especially working with the Kidney, liver and Spleen channels.kj

Fight Breast Cancer with

by Dr. Robert Madda, N.D., LAc.

A clinical study in Cancer Magazine ( November 15, 2003) proved that exercise may lower breast cancer risk.

Everyone would like to know if there's anything that can lower the risk of developing breast cancer. And … if you have a personal history with the disease, you will most likely want to know how to lower the risk of it ever re-occuring.

One factor that researchers have been focusing there studies upon is diet ~ looking to see which foods might affect breast cancer risk in both positive and negative ways. Another major area of focus in the breast cancer research is EXERCISE !

Exercise has a strong impact on the hormonal system of women, which in most cases is the system that allows breast cancer to grow. Exercise can affect the amount of estrogen in your body. Because estrogen, a hormone, can fuel the growth of most breast cancers, it makes sense that less estrogen or a more balanced ratio of estrogen to other hormones would mean a lower breast cancer risk.

Research has also found that that being overweight can increase the risk of breast cancer reoccurance. Overweight women also have an increased risk of getting breast cancer for the first time. The extra fat on the body has certain enzymes that actually make excess estrogen leading to a strong risk factor for developing breast cancer. Regular exercise is one of the golden keys to controlling weight gain and removing excess fat from the body to in turn lower estrogen levels. This is one way exercise might be able to benefit women whether they have a personal history of breast cancer or not.

Research on exercise and breast cancer has also found that exercise can help boost the immune system , help prevent weight gain from chemotherapy , and assist with treatment side effects .

Researchers found that in women without a family history of breast cancer, those who exercised more than 4 hours a week had a 47% lower risk of developing non-invasive breast cancer than women who did not exercise.

This study clearly suggests that it's worth making the effort to include exercise in your daily routine.

In my opinion, the best exercise in terms of preventing cancer and facilitating cancer treatment is hooping with a “TheraHoop.”

You may be asking, “ What is a TheraHoop™?”

The Therahoop™ was developed by two doctors of naturopathic and Chinese medicine ~ Dr. Robert Madda and Dr. Cara Phillipo. These doctors spent over five years exploring creative, effective methods of exercise aimed at invigorating the vitality of the body. In search to devise a therapeutic modality for moving and massaging the core of the body while also offering a physically challenging exercise that was meditative and grounding … the TheraHoop was created.

The TheraHoop™ has been tested clinically over the past five years with amazing testimonials from Dr. Madda's and Dr. Phillipo's very own patients suffering from a myriad of health conditions. The TheraHoop™ has changed peoples lives in terms of creating wellness and physical health.

The TheraHoop™ is currently being recommended by numerous practitioners including medical doctors including many oncologists, naturopathic doctors, physiotherapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, psychologists and more.

The TheraHoop™ is an oversized, adult-friendly, rendition of the “hula hoop,” many of us knew and loved as children. The specific weight, diameter and thickness of the hoop make it an incredible workout and therapeutic tool. The weight and surface area of the hoop make it ideal for adult use and easy to maintain the rhythmic movement for a specific length of time (ideally, 20 minutes)

The TheraHoop™ offers a myriad of health benefits.

~ gastrointestinal health

Overall, much of the therapeutic value of TheraHooping is due to the mere exercise component. However, there are very specific tissues and organs that derive a great benefit from this rhythmic movement. To begin, the abdominal cavity contains all of the vital organs of digestion and elimination. When patients are undergoing chemotherapy, the gastrointestinal system is compromised. Absorption of vitamins, minerals, and vital nutrients are decreased.

Naturopathic Medicine considers a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) environment to be a foundation for good health. TheraHooping is a preventative and a therapeutic type of exercise that is also fun. By strengthening the ability of the GI system to absorb vital nutrients and to expel unwanted byproducts (toxins), better health is attainable with use of the TheraHoop™.

TheraHooping as exercise has the ability to improve digestive health (treating conditions such as bloating, gas, weak digestion, reflux, and distention). It is also used to treat conditions such as constipation, cardiac and circulatory disorders, insomnia, adrenal fatigue, PMS, infertility, menopause, depression, impotence, prostate disorders, pelvic and/or back pain. It is the most fun stress reliever I have come to find. It's hard not to smile while moving with the hoop!

~ detoxification

The TheraHoop as exercise helps to “move the liver” and detoxify the body, thus, removing excess estrogens and toxins. The TheraHoop™ is an amazing detoxifying tool.

As mentioned above, the weight, thickness, and diameter of the hoop add to its therapeutic value. The weight is necessary to put a certain pressure on the underlying tissue structures beneath the skins surface. This is important to encourage the movement of blood and lymphatic fluid to and from the underlying organs, thereby, bringing more oxygen, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes to the tissues via the blood. The movement of the lymphatic fluid encourages the removal and elimination of metabolic byproducts assisting to rid the body of toxins while tonifying the abdominal organs and overall, encouraging better health.

I recommend starting with 5 minutes of TheraHooping and slowing building up to 20 minutes or more daily.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer exercise regularly to improve their quality of life and physical fitness, as well as to possibly reduce the risk of developing new cancers.

But how can you get regular exercise if you're sore from surgery or exhausted from radiation therapy or chemotherapy? It's so hard to force yourself to exercise when you barely have enough energy to get out of bed or off the couch! The solution is to start slowly, and very gradually increase the amount of time you spend exercising.

In general, if you aren't used to exercising, start off slow with stretching exercises, yoga, or slow walks, and/or TheraHooping and then gradually increase the intensity and length of your workouts.