I have NEVER been able to do the hula hoop thing, even when I was a kid, and I don't think my prowess has improved after 42 years on this planet...unless they put a lot of helium-filled balloons on them or something.
Mel's lucky - her gym obviously gets ALL the latest stuff. Just last year, our gym found it in their hearts to let the 'regular gym folk' use the stability balls, medicine balls and those styrofoam-looking cylinder things (I forget what they're called but they're about 3 ft long and my yoga studio uses them too). Before that, all that stuff was 'reserved for trainer use only'.
However, I 'spect that with a fancy-schmancy Equinox gym opening about 100 yds away from MY gym, management is feeling the need to make improvements...