We all know cold mornings on the coast can be an absolute motivation killer when it comes to going to the gym. And with temperatures dropping well below 10 in Wollongong after sunset, all any of us want to do is go home, binge Drag Race, and eat comfort food in our Oodies.

But a fun new fitness craze sweeping the Illawarra may change your mind.

Happy Body Collective is an organisation whose vision it is to spread joy through hula hooping, and every Friday night at the Wollongong Senior Citizens Centre, they run a hula hoop class (hoops provided).

Bianca Pentecost and Lauren Greer are the minds behind the Happy Body Collective, but their discovery of hula did not happen in the Illawarra.

“It actually started in Spain if you can believe it. We were travelling and we met a bunch of local girls who were hula hooping…they showed us a few simple moves and we realised it was more than just hula hooping around your waist and we fell in love with it. When we moved back to Wollongong we just kept it going, we’ve been doing it for a few years now and decided to start our business here,” Bianca told Evenings.

The classes are intended as a fun-based movement revolution for people feeling intimidated or uninspired by the gym. Each class involves dancing and learning hula hoop circus tricks.

“We just truly believe that hula hooping is available for all bodies and abilities and ages, and we think it’s really cool to encourage adults to try something new, and let adults play and take a break from being serious adults, and make a few friends doing something fun,” Bianca told Harry and Tristan.

Bianca and Lauren are also hula hoop performers, and you’ll be able to catch them at the Kiama Winter Festival next month.

This Friday, the 16th of June, Bianca and Lauren’s class is free for anyone who wants to give it a try.

You can check out their classes at happybodycollective.com.au