Exercise While You Wait!

The bus shelter at E.156th and Grovewood Avenue will soon get a facelift with an exercise and health-themed vinyl wrap.

We are all busy. So busy. Too busy.

What is something else most of us have in common? We commute to work, to shop, to play, to dinner. For those of us who use public transportation waiting for the bus is the least productive and most annoying part of the commute (well, aside from potholes).

Coming soon to a bus shelter near you is an art project that challenges our community to join together in exercise and make great use of that idle time waiting for the bus!

Thanks to a grant funded in part by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and awarded by jury selection through Northeast Shores Community Development Corporations’ “COLLINWOOD 2015” health initiative, this Fall three bus shelters in the North Shore Collinwood neighborhood will be transformed by a printed, clear vinyl wrap illustrating simple, easy exercises along with preventive care facts and tips on health habits.

Were you one of the more than 39.5 million RTA bus riders in 2014? Do you wish you had more time to exercise and improve your health? Unless you have the bus schedule memorized (and even then) you DO have time, while waiting. Whether five minutes or fifteen, when riders engage in physical activity while waiting for the bus, the incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure and other health risks related to sedentary lifestyles may be reduced.

It is difficult to dedicate time to a daily exercise routine and even more difficult to know where and how to start. This project will transform idle time waiting for a bus into workout time with a little bit of instruction and inspiration. And don’t worry, there won’t be too much perspiration as these activities are designed for a person of average mobility in “street” clothes. Such exercises include calf-raises, marching in place with high-knees, and yoga-influenced stretches to warm up the muscles, release tension and peak your heart rate just enough so you are energized for the ride ahead.

Three shelters were selected for their frequency of use, visibility in the neighborhood and diverse locations.  These clear vinyl wraps will not interrupt sight lines or the ability to see the bus or fellow riders.

The exercise routines and health information is generously provided by the Medical Director of the Weight Loss Surgery and Weight Management Center and the “MetroHealthy Wellness Program” at MetroHealth Medical Center. Illustrations and concept by me, one of many neighborhood artists who call Collinwood home!

Here’s to your health, Collinwood!

Allison Lukacsy

Allison is a North Shore Collinwood resident, artist, neighborhood cheerleader and frequent contributor to the Collinwood Observer. She curates "Phone Gallery" and "LOCKS of Love from Waterloo" in the Waterloo Arts District and serves of the Board of Directors of Northeast Shores.

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Volume 7, Issue 10, Posted 5:41 PM, 10.12.2015