Power to the people: Hull opens electricity-generating gym

A revolutionary outdoor gym that harnesses the power generated by those exercising and turns it into electricity has been unveiled in Hull.

The gym uses the power generated by the outdoor cardio equipment and converts into useable electricity. The renewable energy generated is used to power lighting for the gym, extending the usable hours of the facility.

The human-powered gym, dubbed the ‘Green Heart’, was installed by the Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGO) in association with Hull City Council. The gym is powered by: Energy cross trainers; Energy hand bikes; Energy fitness bikes and Energy recumbent bikes. All of these stations feedback into the ‘People Power Display Wall’ which measures and displays the power and energy generated by the gym equipment.

Georgie Delaney, Creative Director of The Great Outdoor Gym Company: “Hull City Council was a natural first choice for the pilot of our Green Energy Gym Technology, having successfully worked with us on eight adiZones and outdoor gyms across Hull. The Green Heart in Hull will be showcased all over the world. We aim to have Green Energy Gyms right across the UK, where people can keep fit and recycle the energy they burn off into electricity.”

Each piece of equipment is capable of producing anywhere between 50-400W of clean electricity. TGO has identified many more potential uses for the electricity, including feeding it into local buildings or even the National Grid. The company has ambitious plans for the gyms with aims to install 100 every year for the next five years, helping 2.5 million people keep fit as well as the lights on.

The Green Heart also features Chief Medical Officer guidelines, scales, height measure, BMI index measure to encourage the local community to take those first steps towards healthy living.

Mitch Upfold, Economic Regeneration Manager at Hull City Council, said: “We are pleased to be piloting TGO’s Green Heart scheme which is a great example of how local authorities can promote public health.”

A video describing the Green Heart at Hull can be viewed below: