In response to the “silly question” asked of Umbra about human-powered gyms, alert reader Erin B. directed us to architectural visionary Mitchell Joaquim.
Enter the Human-Powered River Gym For New York City, the name of which gives all the basic information about it, the pictures of which are worth a thousand words. Or at least the 167 words of this post.
As writes Joachim:
This training protocol will exploit the inherent disequilibrium of floatation devices. Often the average urbanite exercising at the gym performs controlled repetitive single plane movements using industrial fitness equipment. All of this energy is summarily dissipated and ultimately exhausted for the sake of a single individual’s wellbeing. Other potentials exist to harness this vast human expenditure of caloric energy.
Translation: Running on the treadmill is boring and pointless. Exercising in a pod in the middle of the Hudson River is awesome!
The concept for this water-purifying, commuter-hauling, calorie-burning bundle of clean energy won third place in New York Magazine‘s Create a Gym competition.
