Technology always finds a way to make our lives easier. From the creation of the wheel up to electric motors, we always find ways to invent and reinvent new ideas. The treadmill is one form of technology which has made amazing strides since its creation. Starting as a way to transform water and ending as a way to keep us fit, the treadmill has been revolutionized over and over to be part of your everyday lives

Treadmills In The 1800’s

The first variation of a treadmill, known as a treadwheel, to hit the scene was around 4,000 years ago. This early version was used mostly for agricultural purposes such as carrying water, grinding grains and kneading dough. In 1818 Sir William Cubitt invented the eternal wheel. The eternal wheel was similar to a stairclimber, with the exception of convicts being latched onto them and forced to climb as part of their daily work. Prisoners had it rough back then and had to climb the wheel a minimum of six hours a day.

Later on in this century, new treadmill patents were created for use specifically with animals. Horses and dogs were used to aid in typical every day farming needs. On a great close out to the century a prisons act was formed which abolished the use of treadwheels and the forced labor imposed on prisoners.

Treadmills In The 1900’s

The 1900’s revolutionized the treadmill into what we currently know it was. With the creation of the first official treadmill patent in 1913, and it officially becoming a training machine, people’s live were beginning to change. In 1933 Popular Science Magazine published an article promoting treadmills as a machine to train on. In 1969 the first commercial treadmill was developed once William Staub read Aerobics and saw that people who ran for eight minutes, four to five times a week were in better physical shape compared to others. The rest is history.

Present Day Treadmills

Today’s treadmills are a swiss-army knife of fitness and fun. Web touch screens, incline and decline, internet apps like iFIT that connect on multiple devices, compact sizes and rigorous training programs to help you train like a pro, can all be accessed with one simple machine.

Now we’re free to train as much as we like, integrate multiple systems, listen to amazing music, and become stronger versions of ourselves. The treadmill has set the bar for fitness across the board and as years come, who knows what new form of technology is next.

 

About The Author

Kevin Jones is a writer, blogger on health & fitness. His areas of focus include: overall health and fitness, and love of researching topics surrounding sleep, nutrition, and how to optimize workouts in a busy life.