Agri-Gym: urban farming and exercising

Agri-Gym is an innovative low cost solution for improving overall health and decreasing the incidence of diseases related to the inaccessibility of fresh food and exercising, specially in lower income communities. It combines exercising with the sustainable management of community gardens to engage the neighbors in its maintenance and care. By working out together on the one hour circuit composed of 6 human-powered agricultural equipment, its users can socialize, alleviate the farmers hard work and increase their productivity of organic food and fertilizers, therefore, generating a win-win situation for everyone. Its prototype was created and built on the periphery of São Paulo and it can be replicated in other gardens on the global south as it is easy to built with standard materials and techniques. As urban farming has become a world wide solution to food security, Agri-Gym can bring it to next level by adding exercising to the mix.

Both adult and young urban population, specially on the periphery of

big cities of the global south, have been increasingly suffering from
deceases related to bad nutrition, lack of exercising and stress:
obesity, diabetes, depression, among others. In Brazil for example the
number of xxxx double in xxx years. This occurrence is related to the
wide spread of cheap and ultra processed food in lower income
communities that is far more accessible than organic and fresh food, a
phenomena called food deserts. In addition to this many of these citizens have no time or even means to be able to exercise regularly. On the other hand urban farming has increased xxxx fold on the last decade and has proven to be a mdkldjkvlhjvk

On one hand the project is focused on urban population (specially women and children) with bad nutrition, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and anxiety or depression, by stimulating them to have a healthier life style by giving them access to both exercising and fresh food, and ultimately improving their health and social ties. On the other hand it can also positively impact urban farmers by increasing their productivity and income, as well as, bringing them closer to the community.

Agri-Gym provides neighbours with access to physical activity in an exercising circuit that uses human-powered agricultural equipment. On one hand it stimulates people to exercise and take better care of their health also by having access to organic food, and on the other hand it boosts the production of organic fertilizers and crops. The tools that are part of the Agro-gym ensemble are: a pedal-powered shredder machine (composting), a manual water pump (irrigation system), digger shoes (de-compact the soil), a double bucket (carry materials), a sifting station (sifting fertilizer and soil) and a two-man shovel (digging soil) and the complete circuit takes around 1 hour to be completed. Agro-Gym is a zero carbon emission project and it also has a great potential as an environmental educational tool, since its users can learn in practice about the ecology of a garden and its systems: irrigation, composting, fertilizer, beds, among others.

The mix of providing free access to both exercising and healthy eating while helping urban farmers is a first. We have also designed and build its first prototypes with community members, designers, and specialists in permaculture and physical education by hacking into existing agricultural tools and making them human-powered or enhancing their usability to become exercising ready. distributed manufactoring

open source hardware, distributed manufacturing, IOT, 

By improving health indexes of users that can be monitored by blood tests, weight loss and pressure measurement, mood improvement survey. By increasing the garden's production of organic crops and fertilizer as well as extra income generation, that can be measured by weight, keeping records of the financial affairs, increase in the number of costumers by survey.

The directly impacted users are: 4 groups of around 12 to 15 people each using the Agri-gym on a regular basis, plus 20-40 people that come visit the space on open day events the community garden hosts monthly. Total approximately 90 people per month. Plus the 8 women farmers and managers of the community garden. And indirectly the 150 costumers that by the gardens products regularly. Overall Total: 90+8=150= 248 people

Finish the second improved version of the prototypes, finish the edition of the agri-gym educational booklet, design and build the pedal powered shredder machine computer

finantial

Fundraising, applying for grants and awards, finding institutional partners worldwide.