INSPIRATION
Monday, March 17, 2025. Chelsea.
It was the kind of rain that makes the city feel heavier. A soaked-to-the-bone, socks-wet-by-9AM kind of rain. The kind of rain that makes you reconsider your life choices.
When the sanitation truck pulled up, I could’ve just stood there. Let them do their job. Watched from the safety of the overhang like any reasonable person. But something in me—some odd, unshakable impulse—made me jump in.
The kind-faced sanitation worker looked at me like I was insane. A little amused. A little concerned. “You don’t have to do that,” he said. “We got it.”
But here's the thing: I did have to do it.
Because my wife is pregnant, and the pre-baby nesting instinct had turned into a full-blown renovation. Which meant debris. So much debris. Piles of it.
Shards of metal that looked like the twisted remains of a failed Louise Bourgeois spider. Window parts splintered as if Clement Clarke Moore’s ghost had torn through the shutters and flung up the sash. An old chair, stiff-backed and unyielding, the kind Wallace Stevens might have used exclusively for drafting surety bonds.
I had to do something. And honestly? The weight of the work felt good. Real good. Not gym good, that's fake good, but real good. Hands gripping the slick plastic of overstuffed bags. Arms straining. Rain dripping into my collar. Muscles waking up. Good.
And that’s when it hit me.
This is fitness. Real fitness. Civic fitness.
Not the treadmill-staring, protein-shake-chugging kind. Not the kind where you shovel 400 bucks of daddy’s hard-earned money to get marketed into submission like you're Terry Richardson’s gimp.
This is hauling a busted cabinet to the curb at 7AM. Shoveling out a neighbor’s car before they even ask. Clearing out an alleyway because if you don’t, who will?
It’s sweating for something bigger than yourself.
It’s lifting not just weight, but responsibility.
It’s movement with meaning. Strength with purpose.
This is the Civic Workout Club.
DESCRIPTION
Civic Workout Club is about replacing isolated, self-focused exercise with movement that benefits both the individual and the city. Instead of lifting weights in a gym, members lift their communities—through activities that are physically demanding yet socially meaningful:
• Strength Training → Helping sanitation workers load trash trucks, moving heavy materials, assisting neighbors with physically taxing tasks.
• Cardio & Endurance → Clearing litter from parks, sweeping subway platforms, shoveling snow in winter.
• Agility & Coordination → Revitalizing subway stations, planting public gardens, repairing urban infrastructure.
This isn’t just volunteering—it’s fitness with purpose. A Civic Workout Club session could be a neighborhood cleanup, a day assisting city workers, or even an ongoing challenge where participants track their impact. Imagine a system where efforts translate into real rewards—free transit passes, local business discounts, or even just public recognition for contributing to the city’s well-being.
EMOTION
There was something deeply rewarding about today—not just from the physical exertion, but from the camaraderie. In the rain, in the shared effort, I felt connected to something larger than myself. And the sanitation worker's kindness reminded me that our cities aren’t just infrastructure and buildings—they’re people. People who keep things running, often without thanks.
The Civic Workout Club is about reclaiming that connection—between fitness and purpose, between individuals and their communities. It’s about feeling the burn not just in your muscles, but in your sense of civic pride. It’s about making movement meaningful.
ACTION
1. Start with small-scale events—a Civic Workout Club day where people join sanitation crews, clean public spaces, or assist in community-heavy tasks.
2. Create a reward system—partnering with local businesses and city programs to offer perks for participation. Maybe earn a memecoin? CiviCoin for proof of CiviContribution?
3. Engage social media & storytelling—highlighting CWC triumphs, sharing experiences, and building momentum for a larger movement.
4. Develop a scalable model—so any city, any neighborhood, can start its own Civic Workout Club.
Why should fitness be confined to a gym when the city itself can be our training ground? Why pay for a workout when you can build strength, community, and a better world—all at once? The Civic Workout Club isn’t just about exercise. It’s about civic movement that matters.
