Route Fitness

The Path To Good Health

April 8, 2025 – San Francisco City Council Hears Call for Immediate Outdoor Fitness Installations to Address Overdose Crisis
PYU founder Eric Randall addressed the San Francisco City Council, urging immediate replication of the UN Plaza outdoor fitness model in South of Market and Lower Nob Hill. Drawing on public-health data and peer-reviewed research, Randall highlighted disproportionate overdose mortality among African Americans and emphasized how low-cost changes to the built environment can provide accessible, health-promoting alternatives to substance use. The proposal calls for rapid installation of simple sidewalk-scale fitness equipment and liability waivers to support proactive, preventive public-health action in underserved neighborhoods.

October 7, 2025 - San Francisco Parks Advisory Committee Unanimously Approves Victoria Manalo Draves Health-Equity Outdoor Fitness Pilot

PYU founder, Eric Randall authored and presented a Resolution for Outdoor Fitness Access, which the committee adopted unanimously. This initiative was developed in response to long-standing community needs and delays in access to safe outdoor fitness opportunities. It seeks to translate public-health evidence into actionable park-equity policy, highlighting the importance of equitable recreation spaces in reducing chronic-disease disparities and improving well-being in underserved neighborhoods.

Advancing Health Equity Through Access to Outdoor Fitness.

Past Engagement and Advocacy Work

1. Randall, E.J. (2024) ‘Integrating Fitness Equipment in Persistent Traumatic Stress Environments for Reducing Drug Overdoses’, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 23(12), pp. 400–401. 
   
2. Randall, E.J. (2023) ‘Health Equity: Access to Outdoor Fitness Equipment’, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 22(12), pp. 403–404.
   

Learn how you can get involved with Pull Yourself Up.

Pull Yourself Up (501(c)(3)) and Route Fitness are separate legal entities.

Bringing physical activity resources to underserved communities requires many hands. We need more help, and that's where you come in. Contact us to learn more about opportunities and ideas for donating, fundraising, hosting events, campaigning, advocacy, and involving your school, company or community.

Selected Publications 

Pull Yourself Up is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible: EIN number 93-2353553

The Community Speaks Out

Pull Yourself Up (PYU) was created in response to my lived experience of poverty, trauma, chronic pain, and lack of access to fitness resources, and my later realization that equitable access to exercise can be life-saving. After surviving childhood instability, early independence, untreated pain, PTSD, and the health consequences of self-medication, access to fitness equipment became the first intervention that allowed me to regain physical health, manage PTSD symptoms, and rebuild self-efficacy. This transformation led me to pursue formal education in kinesiology, open a gym, and ultimately advocate for outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) as a public health and human rights issue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I observed that OFE access was preserved in higher-income neighborhoods while restricted or removed in low-income communities, exacerbating health disparities. Through research, community engagement, and participation in the legislative process, I founded PYU to serve as a liaison between underserved communities and city government, advocating for equitable installation and access to OFE. PYU combines fitness instruction, community outreach, and policy advocacy to reduce health disparities, improve life expectancy, and eliminate barriers to physical activity. This work culminated in successful advocacy for OFE installation at multiple sites, measurable reductions in overdose deaths following increased access to exercise space, peer-reviewed publication of the framework, and my appointment as a voting member of the San Francisco Park and Recreation Open Space Advisory Committee, demonstrating both local impact and a scalable model for other cities.

Together, we can make a difference

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