The Community Gym - A concept

Near where I stay is a Gymnasium. It is equipped with the usual lot of instruments, people trying to get fit, as well as people trying to stay fit.

Near where I stay is also a beachfront, littered every morning with debris comprising mainly stuff thrown around, or discarded or left over from evening jaunts.

And it struck me, that a workout can be coupled with much, much more than firm, healthy flesh and blood tingling through your veins.

Imagine a scene, where a community gym is formed, with the main objective of keeping this beach-front clean.

A trained fitness instructor evangelizes and creates equipment and tasks designed to ensure that a team performs various tasks, scientifically and in a structured manner, that ensures that the beach remains clean, morning after morning. It could involve squatting, stretching, walking, weight lifting, and all other exercises that one pays so hugely to a gym for.

I am sure that such a scene could be easily mapped to a community, and a tenth of the monies that are normally paid to a gym, collected towards purchasing scientifically designed equipment and hiring services of a trained fitness instructor.

What I would like to do is as follows :

1) Evangelize and produce such equipment that could be used for such cleanliness and maintenance exercises, equipment that would be designed to provide for an optimum of exercise.

2) Build up a team of trainers who could work out regimes, and instruct a community on how to do the work, through manuals, videos, etc.

3) Sell the above package to communities that would benefit through exercise and a clean environment as a result.

What I anticipate as a market? Over 400,000 such units of "community gym" in Mumbai alone. This target can be achieved in under 6 months, with proper tieups with action groups, CSR involvement, and correct evangelization.

We would soon have clean drains, no garbage lying around, and at the end of things, a committed citizen, who is proud that his body has been toned up and at the same time, and happy that he has provided a good environment to people around him.

Very soon ... Bye, Bye, Gyms.

Any takers?

Sanjeev Sarma