The hydrogen storage properties of pure $MgH_2$ were studied and compared with those of pure Mg. At the first cycle, pure $MgH_2$ absorbed hydrogen very slowly at 573 K under 12 bar $H_2$. The activation of pure $MgH_2$ was completed after three hydriding-dehydriding cycles. At the $4^{th}$ cycle, the pure $MgH_2$ absorbed 1.55 wt% H for 5 min, 2.04 wt% H for 10 min, and 3.59 wt% H for 60 min, showing that the activated $MgH_2$ had a much higher initial hydriding rate and much larger $H_a$ (60 min), quantity of hydrogen absorbed for 60 min, than did activated pure Mg. The activated pure Mg, whose activation was completed after four hydriding-dehydriding cycles, absorbed 0.80 wt% H for 5 min, 1.25 wt% H for 10 min, and 2.34 wt% H for 60 min. The particle sizes of the $MgH_2$ were much smaller than those of the pure Mg before and after hydriding-dehydriding cycling. The pure Mg had larger hydrogen quantities absorbed at 573K under 12 bar $H_2$ for 60 min, $H_a$ (60 min), than did the pure $MgH_2$ from the number of cycles n = 1 to n = 3; however, the pure $MgH_2$ had larger $H_a$ (60 min) than did the pure Mg from n = 4 to n = 6.