Photo Credit: British Library
The treadmill industry has certainly come a long way since the beginning. From a torture device, to a tool patented in the 20th century to support new research that emphasized the benefits of aerobic fitness, to the modern-day treadmill with incredible features, the journey of the treadmill is certainly a bit different than other devices that have come to be commonplace in modern society.
The “Tread Wheel”
To some, running on a treadmill may feel like torture. What most don’t know is that the earliest forms of the treadmill were in fact used for punishment. Sir William Cubbitt, an engineer from England, invented the “tread wheel” machine in 1818 in order to get prisoners to behave. The tread wheel is linked to the modern treadmill, however, prisoners climbed the wheel similar to how a stair climber machine would be used in a gym today. Prisoners would use these machines for several hours at a time, leading to injury, sickness, and malnutrition. Eventually, the tread wheel would fall out of favor and be replaced with picking cotton or breaking rocks. Even prior to the treadmills used in 17th-century paintings, some historical records suggest that some machines resembled a treadmill (source).
Not only were the tread wheels used for punishment purposes, but some versions of the treadmill also served to have a functional purpose. Some early versions of the treadmill had the capability to grind up grain, generate power for ventilators, or pump water. Human-powered treadmills for functional purposes resembled less of a treadmill and more of a wheel shape (hence the “tread wheel” name), and took more power to operate than a modern, electric-powered treadmill. Regardless of its functional purpose or lack thereof, the early tread wheels were notorious for being punishment machines during this time.
The Modern Treadmill – How We Got Here
An engineer named William Staub first developed what most closely resembles a modern treadmill, inspired by an aerobic fitness book. Staub claimed that people could improve their fitness if they ran for a mere 8 minutes daily, and called his machine “The PaceMaster 600”. Despite Staub’s 1968 invention, the treadmill was patented in the United States back in 1913. As more research came out about the health benefits of aerobic exercise, the demand for different exercise machines increased. New methods for increasing fitness level were sought after by exercise researchers, leading not only to the invention of the treadmill, but the exercise bike (source).
The modern treadmill is utilized in many different settings and poses a variety of advantages to outdoor running. The treadmill is not only used in fitness clubs, gyms, and as a home exercise device, but it is also used medically and therapeutically in hospital, clinical, and rehabilitation settings. You will likely see treadmills located in running stores or other stores that sell athletic shoes, universities, and even at NASA. The advantages of the modern treadmill are endless, ranging from being able to run without wind resistance or inclement weather, to adjustable incline settings and cardio features, and setting a consistent pace.Treadmills are one of the most common pieces of exercise equipment, and it is hard to imagine that they did not exist until the 20th century.