When is the last time you Hula-Hooped?  (Is that even a verb?)  Chances are, you were 10. 

If someone asks today when the next time you plan to Hula Hoop is, you may want go ahead and say, “Tonight!”

Jennifer Donayre Manderichio, a Zumba instructor from Fred Astaire Dance Studios on Valley Road in Upper Montclair, is offering a Hula Hoop event -- Hula Hoop Under The Stars -- tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Anderson Park, on Bellevue Avenue.   This event is free is open to the public.

“Bring your Hula Hoop (or Glow in the Dark Hula Hoop!) for an hour of fun,” says Manderichio, who staged the first of these events on a recent July morning.  Manderichio describes hooping as a great workout for your waist as well as a whimsical activity that can bring out the child in all of us.

A recent study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise likened Hula Hooping to step aerobics or brisk walking if the hoopers are using weighted Hula Hoops.  This is part of the impetus behind Mandericio’s event.  “I’ve been thinking about alternatives to get people active,” she says.  But at least as important to her is the element of fun.

“It’s a great workout for your waist, but if you have other outdoor games – jump ropes, sidewalk chalk – bring them!  The purpose of the event is to simply have fun."

Manderichio says just come by.  “Pass by, check it out.  Just bring your Hula Hoop and a smile,” she says.