The Human (as) Dynamo

The few times I exercise in a gym on fitness machines (I prefer the outdoors for sporting purposes) there's always the display function that shows how many watts I'm generating. But where does all that power go? Indeed, into nowhere. (My indoor rower is an exception, it uses some of the generated current to power it's display. But that's still just a fraction of what's generated).

Now, some very bright guy living in Portland, Oregon, also thought about this loss of energy. And he came up with a solution! The Green Microgym is the answer. How great is that. The gym has got a diverse range of equipment, which all contributes to a greener world in some way.

For example the Team Dynamo (above), created by Human Dynamo the installation is an entirely new way of group fitness. And more importantly, the installation generates enough power for a television or a radio. Which can be plugged in while working out.

Another great piece of equipment in the Green Microgym is the EcoPwr treadmill. Treadmills, unlike other fitness machines, need an external power supply to get you running. So it isn't possible to generate human electricity here. Though the founder of the Green Microgym managed to get up with something that made the treadmill 'green'. The EcoPwr uses 30% less energy then any regular treadmill and as an addition, in the Portland gym, it's powered by solar panels.

At this very moment I think it's too bad I don't live in Portland. Such an awesome gym is just an experience.

-jdh