It's a Friday afternoon at the intersection of 7th and H Streets NW, just outside Gallery Place, and there's a man spinning in the streets. Yes, spinning. His name is Cedric Givens, but he's known more colloquially as "The Exercise Man." He's one of many local personalities in this city. I don't know how many times I've seen him twirling in circles or jogging backwards singing loudly to whatever music he has flowing through his earphones, but I do know it was enough times that he deserved a spot in my DC blog. From what little I could find on the Interwebs about his existence, he lives on H Street NE and has been at this for at least a couple of decades now. In an interview he did with CNN, he told Anderson Cooper that he runs backwards because it exercises different muscles. He told DC photographer, Danny Harris, for a piece in his blog, The People's District, that he spins in circles to improve his endurance. He's apparently not crazy and/or a drug addict; the man is quite literally high on life. He just loves to run. Next time you see him, wave hello or give him a high five.
Here are some videos of the man in action (and there are plenty more where these came from):
Want to learn more about DC's Exercise Man? Check out the Prince of Petworth blog post about Mr. Givens from earlier this year or this feature on Penn Quarter Living from 2007. Or better yet, just head outside and catch him in action! He apparently runs the same route every other day: straight down H Street, past the White House to 20th Street, and then back the same way.
