August 2014 Case Study: City of San Francisco
Urban Fitness Model
Presented by: In Partnership with: Table of Contents I. Background ................................................................................................................... 3 II. The Challenge................................................................................................................ 4 III. The Solution ................................................................................................................ 4 Campaign Elements............................................................................................... 5 Bringing It Together............................................................................................... 6 Opening the Pilot Location.................................................................................... 7 Engaging Local Fitness Professionals..................................................................... 7 The Community Partner Program......................................................................... 8 IV. Summary ..................................................................................................................... 8 V. Campaign Updates…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Exhibits 1. Statistics.......................................................................................................................11 2. Fitness Court Photos.................................................................................................... 12 3. You Tube Video Links................................................................................................... 13 4. NFC Community Partner Listing...................................................................................14 5. Design Team Bios........................................................................................................ 15 6 Mayor’s Proclamation…………........................................................................................17 7. Fitness Court® Trademark………………………………….………………………………………………….. 18 8. Philadelphia Magazine Article………………………………………………………………………………….19 9. So Fit Magazine Article…………………………………………………………………………………………….22 Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 2
I. BACKGROUND The National Fitness Campaign (NFC) first began in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission was to give the “gift of fitness” to communities to address the growing impact of lifestyle disease on our population. With the partnership of Wells Fargo and world-­‐renowned Stanford Medical Center, NFC built and opened Fitness Courts® in San Francisco and at Stanford University. Soon after, with the enthusiastic support of then Mayor of San Francisco Dianne Feinstein, the program expanded with over 100 hospitals joining the mission. By 1989, with Wells Fargo as lead sponsor, NFC delivered 10,000 free outdoor fitness facilities to communities across America and abroad, raising over $100 million and creating the largest public-­‐private partnership program in support of fitness of its day. The campaign brought cities together with local, regional and national sponsors to deliver this free health and fitness resource in public spaces. After 10 years of highly recognized and successful implementations in almost 4,000 cities and towns, the National Fitness Campaign achieved its goal. In 2011, the founder Mitch Menaged set out to re-­‐establish the campaign. NFC commissioned Pompei A.D. to conduct a feasibility study that concluded that outdoor fitness is a powerful community resource. Pompei also found that only 15% of Americans belong to a gym and that there is a strong need for accessible, customized fitness in community settings. The study also concluded that corporations are interested in deeper brand engagement with their customers, which spoke directly to the role of corporate sponsorship in the campaign. Furthermore, diseases of unfitness are costing us all a fortune. Everyone agrees that fit people are healthier, but cities are spending $2,000,000 on playgrounds and only $40,000 on ineffective outdoor exercise structures from playground equipment makers to solve an unfitness problem. We can do better! With this information, NFC was reborn. Their mission was again to have a positive impact on the declining health of America. The mission statement of the re-­‐imagined campaign is “We Build Fit Communities” and the focus of the mission is on teaching the value of body weight circuit training (BWCT) and to support optimal health and longevity. NFC’s new fitness system combines iconic design, leading edge body weight training principles, and a proven exercise methodology with social media, mobile and web technology. Their vision is to create a connected nationwide network of Fitness Courts in local communities that support its members to live healthier and more active lifestyles through a variety of fun and educational engagements around healthy lifestyle practices. The campaign unites the stakeholders and provides the physical and electronic platform where the community comes together to promote health and fitness. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 3
In 2011 NFC entered into an MOU with the city of San Francisco to develop and measure the results of a pilot program at the Marina Green. NFC funded the pilot. It was agreed that if the pilot were successful, that NFC would seek sponsors to match funds with cities and colleges to expand the program throughout the city. The city would represent a new urban fitness model to engage its citizens and teach the value of outdoor BWCT as a prescription to support optimal health and longevity. This case study presents the results of that pilot. II. THE CHALLENGE With the newly designed Fitness Court in its pilot location on the Marina Green, NFC was faced with the challenges of engaging the public and building its first community. There were many unanswered questions in the pursuit of the overall mission; however the primary interest at this stage of the campaign was to determine: How does NFC connect and engage with local residents, grow NFC’s community and leverage these connections to further the campaign’s mission? This overall challenge was accompanied by the task of understanding the dynamics of building awareness and educating the public on a new health and fitness initiative. What’s the most effectual approach to introduce and demonstrate the effectiveness of the system to users? How to educate the public on the many health benefits of BWCT and proper nutrition? How to influence behavior to work the proposed 7 movements in 7 minutes regimen into a personal fitness practice? These and other questions needed to be answered for NFC to overcome the stated challenge in support of its social mission. III. THE SOLUTION NFC executed a strategic campaign that focused on local outreach to engage top-­‐level influencers in the health, fitness and lifestyle communities. By securing these influencers as early adopters and supporters of the Fitness Court, NFC legitimized its fitness mission in the eyes of the general public. This also helped to establish the Fitness Court as a vital community resource and a symbol of the city’s commitment to the health of its residents. These early adopters represent the essential building blocks of the NFC community. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 4
The Campaign Elements The engagement period had several elements to the overall program, each of which plays a role in the success of the campaign’s continued community building efforts. The following is a brief description of these elements: •
The Partnership – A key component of the program was to form a partnership with the City of San Francisco. Securing a high-­‐profile location is a critical element in the launch of the campaign in a new geography. The partnership with San Francisco’s Recreation & Parks was crucial in securing the highest visibility location in which to launch the campaign. •
The Methodology – The foundation of the NFC system is the desire to teach people the value of bodyweight circuit training to achieve lifetime functionality and optimal health. BWCT as a functional fitness methodology is easy to learn, easy to understand and supportive of a wide range of users. The methodology is based on a 7-­‐minute circuit and functional movements that most people do in everyday life. This training approach is proven to be an effective fat burning method of exercise and promotes the body mechanics necessary to reduce chronic pain and injury associated with functional movement. Circuit training is an efficient and effective practice for athletes of all levels. Its proven effectiveness and minimal time commitment lower the barriers for users to try the system and ultimately create a personal fitness practice. •
The Fitness Court Design – The sculpture quality design of the Fitness Court is an award winning, community-­‐meeting place. It was designed by New Deal Design to be a group exercise platform and personal training facility, which offers a “progressive” training system. In order for a system to be progressive, it must provide an increasing challenge over time. For example, an entry-­‐level push up can be done on the pushing station from the standing position. A more challenging version of that exercise can be done by leaning further forward on the pushing station, using more of your own body weight as resistance. •
Community Partner Program and Community Events – NFC implemented a strategic plan to engage the community through partnerships with city stakeholders, local businesses and community organizations. NFC cultivated relationships with fitness influencers by inviting San Francisco’s top fitness professionals to train on the Fitness Court and learn about the effectiveness of BWCT. The campaign also brought together the local organizations that have a stake in the health of their local community through the Community Partner Program. NFC works with these Community Partners to host a variety of fun and educational court-­‐centric events intended to promote healthy lifestyle practices, introduce the public to the Fitness Court and get as many community members as possible to use the Fitness Court. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 5
•
Digital Engagement Tools – In an effort to constantly promote the methodology and reinforce the campaign message, NFC employed web and mobile technology. The NFC mobile app and website provide information on the campaign as well as a library of instructional audio guides and videos. •
Online Community and Social Media – As the campaign engaged the community through staffed court times and community events, participants were encouraged to stay connected to the campaign by joining NFC’s online community. The campaign utilized a variety of online channels to grow its community of interested users and publish its message to a wider audience of health and fitness minded people. NFC published a weekly email communication providing the community with educational information, calendar of events, and news. The campaign also uses a variety of social media sites to maintain a more interactive and real-­‐time connection to its community. •
Education – To educate local residents on how to use BWCT on the Fitness Court and the benefits of BWCT, NFC’s certified personal trainers offered free instruction sessions every weekend during the pilot program phase. NFC also engaged top-­‐tier trainers and local businesses in an education campaign on the positive results of BWTC by demonstrating and discussing how BWTC can be done anywhere, anytime and has functional uses in people’s everyday lives. Bringing It Together Each of the elements described above was important to the overall success of the campaign. The intent of the pilot was to prototype the use of these elements and to understand how they best come together to build community around wellness and healthy lifestyle choices. The court design and methodology were prerequisites and key factors to the success of the overall program. The campaign enlisted top experts in the fields of design, manufacturing and fitness (see Exhibit 5 – Design Team Bios) with the design imperative to create a system that is iconic and simple, based on proven and effective principles, and accommodating of the full range of fitness levels. The result of this effort was an innovative outdoor sports and fitness training system that combined revolutionary exercise principles, groundbreaking design, and robust construction. With its revolutionary fitness system in place, the campaign needed to secure a location and figure out how to build its first community. To do this, NFC chose the Marina neighborhood for its pilot program. They thought it would be a great location since it is the site of the original design from 1979. They needed to understand who are the key stakeholders and the members of the community who influence its health and fitness and how to engender their support for the campaign mission. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 6
Opening the Pilot Location (First Month) The highest-­‐level stakeholder was the City of San Francisco. The cutting-­‐edge design of the court and overall campaign mission allowed the NFC to approach the San Francisco Recreation & Parks with the proposition of being the first city in America to implement this urban fitness model. Their partnership was secured along with one of the city’s most iconic locations for the pilot Fitness Court. Garnering the support of this key stakeholder was critical. They saw the campaign as a way to demonstrate their commitment to the health and wellness of their residents and a part of their overall strategy to demonstrate how San Francisco is the model for the healthy city of the future. While securing the campaign’s physical presence, the NFC was also establishing its online presence with a website, Facebook Fan Page, Foursquare Check-­‐in Location, mobile app, audio guides, periodic blog and community newsletter (see Exhibit 3 – Online Resource Links). This provided the content and infrastructure to launch the campaign pilot and support the initial community building process. Beginning on the opening weekend, the campaign staffed the Fitness Court during peak hours with NFC trainers to engage the public and demonstrate the 7-­‐minute BWCT routines. Each new user was taken through the 7-­‐station body weight circuit, shown the online resources and invited to stay connected to the campaign through email. Soon after, NFC began offering free group exercise classes on the court. This first stage of court activity engaged the community by creating the initial NFC Ambassadors, engaging over a thousand users in the first month. Engaging Local Fitness Professionals (Second Month) NFC knew that staffing the court as the only engagement mechanism had limitations and would not be scalable. They also engaged the local fitness professionals, the community’s trusted health and fitness resource, as the next stage of the community building process. The campaign selected the top personal trainers and group exercise instructors and offered them a Fitness Court Trainer Workshop. In this class they were given an in-­‐depth and hands-­‐on understanding of the system and were invited to use the Fitness Court for themselves and their clients as a training platform. The top local trainers and instructors attended the workshop, validated the platform and became advocates for the campaign. NFC sought their endorsement to help create awareness of the campaign and spread its message and educate the public on the Fitness Court and the value of BWCT. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 7
The Community Partner Program (Third Month) In a continued effort to further engage the community, the National Fitness Campaign began to engage the local establishments that have a connection to the community and a stake in the health and fitness of its constituents. This is when the campaign established its Community Partner Program with the aim to utilize the Fitness Court as a cross-­‐promotional platform. NFC partnered with local stakeholders to create a variety of free events on the Fitness Court. These fun and educational events demonstrated the system, delivered the campaign message and engaged the community around optimal health on a deeper and more diverse level. To the Community Partners (the local businesses, associations and groups), the program offered a unique way to engage the public and cross-­‐promote their products and services with those of complimentary brands. This program produced a calendar of community events that activated this public space and constantly reinforced the city’s commitment to the health and wellness of its residents. IV. Summary The overall result is that after the introduction of the National Fitness Campaign it has become a valued resource for residents of San Francisco and has been embraced by the local community. In addition to citywide support, the campaign has received recognition and inquiry from communities across the country and abroad for its leading edge methodology, iconic and innovative design and popularity as a public outdoor exercise location. NFC’s mission is to build fit communities by teaching the value of body weight circuit training (BWCT), proper nutrition and functional fitness as a pathway to optimal health. Through the partnership with the City and County of San Francisco, NFC successfully opened the first Fitness Court in one of the city’s most visited public areas, the Marina Green. With an estimated 2.3 million residents and tourists visiting the Marina District and nearby attractions, the Fitness Court attracted the attention of countless individuals who associated the Fitness Court with San Francisco’s message that it values wellness and is proactive about helping to improve its residents’ health. The Marina Green Fitness Court quickly became a vital platform to educate, engage and inspire the local community to make life altering behavioral changes. The Fitness Court also showed the public that fitness is fun and social through its calendar of free events and group exercise classes. Furthermore, it was shown that the more workout sessions an individual had on the Fitness Court, the more likely it was to become part of their routine and lead to a more healthful and fulfilling life. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 8
NFC’S strategic outreach to top-­‐level influencers in San Francisco’s health, fitness and lifestyle sectors enabled NFC to align the campaign and the Fitness Court with community leaders who shared the Fitness Court methodology with their clients, friends, neighbors and colleagues. By working with strategic partners, the NFC’s fitness system has been legitimized and the community has embraced it. The Fitness Court’s reputation now precedes it as the campaign continues to gain momentum in building fit communities. In addition to success in the San Francisco community, the program is spreading virally and inspiring other cities around the country and abroad. NFC utilized social media and created user-­‐friendly web tools to broaden the conversation beyond the physical platform. The on-­‐court usage has sparked viral growth through social media activity and resulted in thousands of online page views. Through conventional means and new media channels, users told their friends, family and colleagues. The website and Facebook page have members and visitors representing countries all around the world. NFC supplemented the campaign success centered around the Fitness Court by introducing audio and video guides and a mobile app that anyone could use to start the journey to optimal health, on or off the court. These accessible tools serve to educate the global community about NFC’s safe and effective approach to exercise that is for people of all ages and fitness levels. The campaign is now fielding unsolicited inquiries from cities with a desire for the Fitness Court in their communities (see Exhibit 6 – Philadelphia Article). The pilot program provided proof of concept for NFC’s urban fitness model using San Francisco’s Marina neighborhood as a prototype for the community building process. With limited resources for PR or advertising, they clearly demonstrated that the campaign attracts public interest and garners significant community support around living a more active lifestyle. Through the success of the pilot Marina Green Fitness Court, NFC has shown the viability of its urban fitness model and generated enthusiastic demand to expand the campaign to neighborhoods across the city. It also showed that a larger audience can be reached through the NFC website, web tools, audio and video guides, mobile app, and social media. It has demonstrated significant user engagement and delivered its message throughout the community, successfully utilizing a number of methods that built interest in and awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 9
V. Campaign Milestones and Next Steps Due to the success of the pilot on The Marina Green in San Francisco, Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department has enthusiastically endorsed the expansion of the program. He says, "The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department supports an active and healthy San Francisco. The popularity and success of the Marina Green Fitness Court has dramatically exceeded our expectations. People from all over the city come to enjoy it. It’s an amazing opportunity to have Fitness Courts like the one on The Marina Green in every neighborhood in San Francisco and to continue to activate our public spaces." In October 2012, Mayor of San Francisco, Edwin M. Lee issued a Certificate of Honor to Mitch and Debbie Menaged for inspiring residents of San Francisco to become healthier and to use public spaces as areas for healthy activities. In March 2013, The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a registered trademark for The Fitness Court®. In 2014 legendary French rugby player Sebastian Chabal discovered the Fitness Court while visiting San Francisco and a new partnership was soon developed to bring the campaign to France in 2015 and then Europe. The partners plan to open 100 Fitness Courts in France by 2017. The NFC has once again invested in updating its web and mobile technology. A new website is being launched in August 2014 and a new app is in development with a planned launch in the first quarter of 2015. The new app will offer engagement opportunities using the Kiip rewards platform. The user will have access to a robust fitness app and will be able to earn rewards from sponsors who want to engage with them in the moments after they achieve their daily fitness goals. It’s a win-­‐win. The official launch of the campaign will be on October 25, 2014 at the First Annual Challenge Event For The Parks on The Marina Green to raise funds for 10 San Francisco Bay Area Fitness Courts in 2015. The NFC plans to open an additional 10 Fitness Courts in cities and colleges across the country in 2015. The NFC has built staff to identify local and national partnerships to assist cities and colleges in leveraging funding to join the campaign to accommodate the many requests from across the country to bring the campaign to their city. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 10
Exhibit 1 -­‐ Statistics Facebook Fans: NFC has seen a steady increase in its Facebook activity. Currently, the fan base is comprised of mostly San Francisco’s fitness and lifestyle influencers. NFC Website: The launch of the new website in 2014 will create an opportunity to engage with new users and will provide a more streamlined approach to get them engaged with the campaign. Other Statistics: Through the CP Program and other engagement tools, the campaign was able to increase its visibility over the pilot period measured through: • # of one-­‐on-­‐one orientations = 2000 • # of community events = 25 • # of event attendees = 1500 • Average weekly foot traffic = 5,000 • Average weekly car traffic = 200,000 • YouTube video views = 10,000 • Marina District Residents = 22,800 • Annual Marina Visitors = 2.3 million Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 11
Exhibit 2 – THE FITNESS COURT IN ACTION Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 12
Exhibit 3 – Online Resource Links NFC Web & Mobile Resources NFC Website – This is the official web site of the National Fitness Campaign NFC http://nationalfitnesscampaign.com Facebook Fan Page – This is the National Fitness Campaign Facebook Fan page NFC Fitness Court App – This is the National Fitness Campaign free app with instructional videos showing how to do the 7 movements in 7 minutes (search Fitness Court or National Fitness Campaign in app store) NFC YouTube Channel NFC Partners in Fitness -­‐ YouTube – Original promotional video from the 80’s Pearman Fitness Court Intro -­‐ YouTube – Pearman Fitness walks through the 7 stations Cross Fit on the Fitness Court -­‐ YouTube – Cross Fit style boot camp on the Fitness Court NFC Boot Promo Video -­‐ YouTube – Promo video with NFC founder Mitch Menaged Summer WOD on the Court -­‐ YouTube – Workout of the day in the summer series Fitness Court Promo -­‐ YouTube – Fitness Court promotional video from Treasure Island NFC Trainer Workshop -­‐ YouTube – Workshop given to local fitness professionals Fitness Court Demo -­‐ YouTube – Concept video showing the court and 7 stations NFC YouTube Channel – NFC YouTube Channel of exercise instructional videos Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 13
Exhibit 4 – NFC Community Partner Listing Health and Disease Related Non-­‐Profit Organizations American Cancer Society American Red Cross Leukemia and Lymphoma Society National Brands Gap Hint Water Muscle Milk Nike Zico Coconut Water Bay Area Community Centers and Services Jewish Community Center La Casa YMCA, Presidio Bay Area Health, Fitness and Lifestyle Organizations CORE Foods Cross Fit DIAKADI Body Fleet Feet Sports Golden Gate Triathlon Club Great Urban Race Gymnastics Strength Training Krav Maga Marathon Matt Mercury Fitness Perfect Fit Personal Training Real Food Company Rhody Company Productions Urban Diversion Dr. Clay Hyght, DC, CSCS, CISSN Somersault Snacks Sports Basement StudioMix Sweat Pink Swim Art The Mindful Body The San Francisco Marathon Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 14
Exhibit 5 – Development Team Key Players Mitch Menaged, Founder and Director -­‐ National Fitness Campaign Mitch invented the Fitness Court in 1979 to bring outdoor fitness training to the public. He raised more than $100,000,000 in the largest public and private partnership for community-­‐based fitness of its day. The partnership created a new conversation about the value of fitness in people's lives and ended successfully after a ten-­‐year international campaign in 4000 cities in three countries. In 2012, Mitch decided that Americans fighting diseases related to obesity and lack of fitness were in need of new community-­‐based fitness tools. Thus, Mitch engaged a world-­‐renowned team to redesign the Fitness Court for a new age and a new population. Working without salary in a new social enterprise, his goal is a network of powerful new Fitness Courts as well as a fit America. Prior to Founding NFC, Mitch had a successful seven-­‐year career in marketing and sales at Bic, followed by a very successful career as a San Francisco luxury real estate developer, which he continues to this day. Sam Lucente, Designed Fitness Court Sam Lucente led the design process of developing the new fitness court for NFC as well as the digital media tools that were created to teach body weight circuit training on the fitness court to the public. Sam directed the efforts of New Deal Design, Pompei AD and Yesco to create the seamless and powerful visual functional and digital elements that are part a fitness courts user experience. Sam runs Lucente Design, and was head of design at Hewlett Packard from 1994-­‐2011. Prior to this Sam held senior design positions at IBM, and was recognized as one of the 100 best industrial designers in America by the design institute at Cincinnati University. New Deal Design: Gadi Amit, Industrial Design of Fitness Court Gadi Amit, Principal of New Deal Design led his team in the industrial design process of the new fitness court for NFC. Founded in 2000, New Deal Design is among the top 5 design firms in the country and has won over 100 design awards. Fast Company Magazine named Gadi “Master of Design” in 2010. Mark Lauren, Designed Exercise Methodology Mark Lauren, author of “You Are Your Own Gym,” led the team that designed the seven-­‐
movement circuit training system, which is the foundation of the fitness court. The progressive training system caters to people of all fitness levels and the circuits are designed to be done by people both on and off the fitness court in as little as seven minutes a day. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 15
Mark was a member of the military's Special Forces and the author of "Your Body Is Your Gym" which is considered to be the bible of body weight exercise. Mark travels the country coaching elite athletes and speaking about the value and purpose of functional fitness for optimal health. Yesco, Fitness Court Manufacturers Yesco is the engineering designer and manufacturer of the fitness court. They are specialists at designing and manufacturing complex outdoor structures, and led by their chief design engineer Dan Hunsaker, worked to build prototypes and the fitness court to meet the exacting standards of the design team. Yesco builds and installs outdoor structures from nine factories and 26 distribution centers across the United States. Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation & Parks Phil Ginsburg who manages the cities 210 parks worked with NFC to showcase the first new fitness court in a high traffic visible SF location near the Golden Gate Bridge. The goal was to demonstrate the effectiveness of delivering a powerful community based fitness platform in building and sustaining a fit community. He is an avid fitness enthusiast and believes that each dollar spent on healthy lifestyle practices saves one hundred dollars of health care costs from unfit living. He is a strong advocate of the NFC and intends to expand the program throughout the city of SF, which can act as a model for cities across the country to follow. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 16
Exhibit 6 – Mayor’s Proclamation Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 17
Exhibit 7 – Fitness Court® Trademark Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 18
Exhibit 8 – Philadelphia Magazine Article PHILLY, WE NEED A FITNESS COURT Posted by Emily Leaman on 5/31/2012 at 11:25AM An amazing new public fitness facility that recently opened in San Francisco could come to Philly—if we want it enough. “Stop the car!” I shrieked from the back seat as friends and I drove along the lovely waterfront Marina Green in San Francisco on Saturday. I’d gone out west for the long weekend (didja miss me?) and nearly dove out of the car when I caught sight of the city’s shiny new Fitness Court. It was around 10 a.m., so the thing was packed (I snapped the picture above later that day when the crowds had left), as runners, cyclists and friends out for a stroll stopped to do a quick circuit. My friend, a local who happens to live in the neighborhood, told me the Court was relatively new, just a few months old. She said trainers go out there on weekends and run classes and boot camps, but it’s open all the time and anyone can hop on for a workout whenever they’d like. “It’s like an adult jungle gym,” she explained. Of course, I was immediately jealous. Why don’t we have anything like this in Philly? Why does the West Coast get everything awesome, like Bradley Cooper (we want him back, by the way) and zero-­‐humidity weather? I could think of thousands of Be Wellers who’d kill to have something like that available in Philly. So when I got home on Monday, I did some digging. Turns out, the Fitness Court is part of the National Fitness Campaign, an organization which, in the 1980s, got 10,000 exercise jungle gyms erected in 4,000 cities across the country. The equipment was absolutely free to use. I called campaign director Mitch Menaged, who told me he was the guy behind it all in the 80s, too. He worked to get the facilities in cities, drew the attention of everyone from mayors to governors to presidents, and after 10 years felt his mission was accomplished—at least, for the time being. Menaged went into real estate development in San Francisco and toiled away in the industry until two years ago, when he decided to get back into the fitness biz and resurrected the National Fitness Campaign. His goals this time around are pretty much the same as 30 years ago—to get people moving by bringing free fitness to public spaces. But this time, he says, the stakes are just a little higher: “Look at the state of health care in America. It’s virtually a train wreck. Our kids are probably going to be the first generation in four generations to live shorter lives than their parents. We have lost the understanding of the importance of fitness and nutrition. We’re working our way toward obesity, diabetes, and heart attack. If we don’t do something about it we’re going to find ourselves in a terrible way. We’ll be sick and unhealthy and virtually bankrupt. It is imperative that we come together as a country and take responsibility for our health and fitness.” Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 19
The Fitness Court is Menaged’s way of helping us take that responsibility—or at least, take a step towards it. The San Francisco model I drooled over this weekend is the pilot project. Menaged and his team (who, by the way, are all unpaid volunteers) are using it to create buzz and momentum—and, hopefully, sponsorship dollars to get 10 more Courts in the Bay Area by the end of 2013. From there, he says, the campaign should propel itself, much like it did last time when city after city and mayor after mayor jumped on board to bring the 1980s model to their communities. At that time, the so-­‐
called Gamefields cropped up everywhere, from public spaces to university quads to public schools. Menaged has the same vision for the Fitness Court today. The Fitness Court itself, I learned, is the product of a two-­‐year research and design effort that included the former head of design of Hewlett Packard, a top design firm in San Fran, a body-­‐weight training expert who trained Army Special Forces, and a team of engineers who specialize in building long-­‐lasting, elements-­‐withstanding outdoor structures. The outcome: A 341⁄2-­‐by-­‐32-­‐foot circuit-­‐training system with built-­‐in boxes, rings, bars and more that comprise seven workout stations. The total price tag is $150,000. The stations are meant to accommodate a range of fitness levels—from grandmas to bodybuilders—by offering progressive training. So a pushup at one station can be modified several ways to make them easier or harder, depending on your ability. Menaged also says there’s a built-­‐in audio system that can walk you through the exercises (literally, a button you push at the station) plus downloadable workouts that walk you through a workout over your headphones. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 20
If I lived in San Fran, I’d skip the virtual instruction all together and plan my dates with the Fitness Court around the free training schedule, a few hours on the weekend when trainers will coach you through a circuit on site. Menaged says he hopes to get classes, boot camps and more going at the site every day—even several times a day. That’s all fine and well for San Franciscans, but what about us Philadelphians. When can we expect to see Fitness Court in our city? Turns out, that’s kinda up to us. Once Menaged gets past the pilot stage and lines up some serious sponsors, they’ll move the program into cities as they see a need and desire, whether it’s at the behest of a gung-­‐ho mayor (whatcha waiting for, Nutter?) or the prodding of the local community. “It always starts with one person who really thinks this is the coolest thing since sliced bread and wants to be the local champion,” says Menaged. “Then we work with that person to make it happen.” You also need a place to put the thing, of course. Menaged says the ideal location is one that’s “very active and very beautiful”—an iconic spot, perhaps, where it’ll get a lot of foot traffic and create some buzz. You know, the kind that makes people driving by yell “Stop the car!” at the top of their lungs. That kind. “It’s not about one fitness court in Philly. One won’t do anything. There needs to be 50 fitness courts in Philly, in parks, neighborhoods and schools,” says Menaged. “But it starts with one.” So here’s the question for you, Be Wellers: Where should we put it? Rittenhouse? Washington Square? Along the Schuylkill Banks? Right smack dab in the middle of the City Hall Plaza? (Yeah, right.) Tell us in the comments where you think a Fitness Court would thrive in Philly. God knows we need one. Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 21
Exhibit 9 – So Fit Magazine Article Posted August 31, 2012 The National Fitness Campaign’s Fitness Court is a free outdoor exercise
system for people of all ages and fitness levels. It is a social enterprise,
seeking to bring the “gift-of-fitness” to communities across the
country. The court is an update to the successful program launched in
1979 by Mitch Menaged that saw 10,000 courts installed across the United
Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 22
States and helped to introduce millions of people to bodyweight
exercise. Modernized and reimagined, NFC’s Fitness Court is an
accessible, sustainable, and iconic ‘training facility’ coming to a park near
you. Built from fully assembled pieces that are then connected on site like
Legos, the court can be installed in a weekend in any location that fits its
32’ square footprint. The low-impact surface is constructed from recycled
material, partially composed of used tires and tennis sneakers. Fitness
experts were involved throughout the design process to help define the
ideal court size, layout, user flow, personal movement radium, and to
maximize the functionally of equipment.
NFC’s Fitness Court is a user-friendly community tool based on the
concepts of circuit training and bodyweight exercise. The court is divided
into 7-main functional movement areas: Core, Squat, Push, Pull, Lunge,
Agility, and Bend. Informative graphics and an online interactive training
manual help guide users though the court along the recommended 7, 14,
21 or 28-minute routines (45 seconds of movement, 15 seconds of rest). A
solar-powered musical coaching guide is built in to help pace users
through their workout.
SFC and NFC are joining forces to put fitness platforms throughout this
region. Would you like to bring one or more to your city? Join the
movement! Write us at nfc@sofitcity.com and let’s build this city so fit!
An innovative ‘pushing and pulling’ wall comprised of multifunctional
equipment is the centerpiece of the court. Through simple posture and grip
changes, one can vary his/her exercise type and difficulty. Leveraging or
deleveraging bodyweight, using stabilized or destabilized equipment,
changing heights, or switching from two-limbed to single-limbed
movements allows for extreme exercise variations. In the equipment lies
the true beauty of the court; one’s experience can be as light or in-depth as
he/she chooses. Walk on after a stroll in the park for stretches, standing
push-ups, and hopscotch or design a routine of destabilized body-lifts,
Bulgarian split squats, and ring dips. Each exercise is based on the expert
proven methodology of circuit training, allowing for maximum results in the
shortest amount of time.
Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 23
The first fitness court was installed in San Francisco’s Marina Green on
March 31st, 2012, and its success is already evident with locals, training
groups and even school class trips frequenting the court. Free boot camps
are held regularly to introduce the court and vibrant local and online
communities have sprung up around it. The city of San Francisco has been
extremely positive and plans are in place to open another 10 courts in the
city in the next 12-18 months. NFC projects they will have 150 courts
installed in California in 3 years, with 5000 making their way to parks
around the country in the next 10 years.
The Fitness Court is a truly valuable resource for communities and is
fulfilling its purpose in providing the ‘gift-of-fitness’ to all.
Case Study: City of San Francisco Urban Fitness Model 24