Treadmills have been an amazing addition to the world of running. They allow people to gain a worthwhile and challenging workout in different styles, all from the safety of their home or gym.
This means that they don't have to worry about hazards such as cars, difficult terrain, or any other problem that might jump out at them as they are taking their morning or evening jog. It truly has revolutionized how and where people obtain their running workout.
So where did treadmills come from? I bet you haven't given it any thought, but you might be surprised to know that they weren't originally used for exercise.
Let's jump right into their history. We will see how this amazing invention evolved into the fitness staple that it is today.
The first treadmill was built in 1875. It was not, however, used by humans. It was initially used as a means for food or material production.
It would be hooked up to horses or other animals and would be used to power butter churners, spinning wheels, or other machines that would produce goods. They used the muscle power of animals combined with the functional power of the machine.
When factories and warehouses started popping up all over the world during the Industrial Revolution, the technology of the treadmill was quickly transferred over to aid the manufacturing process. It is from here that we saw the beginnings of the commonly known conveyor belt.
Conveyer belts were a new invention that seemed to be sent from the gods. They were used by such companies as Ford Motors in the early 1900s to transfer products or parts from one part of the factory to the other.
They also helped greatly in the manufacturing process. Because of this technology being used, money was saved by the manufacturing companies and the economy felt a little boost.
In 1952, the modern treadmill as we know it was born. It was invented by two cardiologists named Robert Bruce and Wayne Quinton.
Although the layout was similar to current fitness running machines, the reasons for its use were far different. Initially, it was used to evaluate and diagnose heart and lung disease patients.
The patient would walk or run on the machine while having their body numbers checked to evaluate their health. It wasn't until the end of the 1960s that treadmills would be commercialized and transferred over to the personal fitness business.
In this time, a medical engineer named Bill Staub had an idea to transfer the treadmill from exclusively being a medical device to one that could be used in the home for fitness. He started to build a prototype of his idea.
After the prototype was finished, he presented it to a man named Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Cooper was an accomplished expert in the field of aerobic fitness and worked for a company named Aerobics, Inc.
Cooper and his company were so invigorated by the concept that they immediately started manufacturing the product and selling it on the market. It was dubbed the "Pace master" and was quite a success among fitness fanatics.
Since then, hundreds of fitness companies have jumped on the idea of. Companies like Trackmaster, Star Trac, and many others have taken the primitive invention and taken it to a whole new level.
Now, some treadmills are basically supercomputers. They allow the user to input downloaded workout routines into the machine, and just about every setting can be adjusted on a display computer.
Even NASA has found a use for this amazing machine! They are used in what is known as the Skylab.
These are a little bit different from your conventional machine, though. Just one of the models involves an astronaut being strapped to bungee cords while he runs in place on a Teflon-coated plate, which allows his feel to slide effortlessly.
The popularity of this invention continues to grow. They are bought more than any other fitness machine on the market.
Even if you don't like running, treadmills today have so many settings and different ways to get a workout that it is almost impossible to get bored on one. Try one out and see if you like it!
Author Resource:-
Ignacio Lopez is a personal trainer and has authored hundreds of articles relating to physical training and fitness treadmill. He has been a health expert and physical trainer for over 15 years.
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