Sparked by the necessity for a portable and continual power supply, treadmills were developed to generate consistent power supply. Originating as agricultural machines, designed to power butter churns, water pumps and spinning wheels, treadmills have come a long way since their draconian days when they were used by horses, sheep, dogs and mules, to help farmers produce power, rather than help humans get and stay in shape. It wasn’t until 1952, that the University of Washington Dr. Robert Bruce, who was believed by many to be the father of exercise cardiology, along with his colleague, and fellow UW employee Wayne Quinton, developed the first medical treadmill, built to study, treat and diagnose heart and lung disease. This treadmill would be the foundation for what we exercise on today.

When discussing the origins of the treadmill, it helps to understand its etymology. The word “Tread” refers to a person or animal “treading” in place, while the word “Mill”, refers to a machine for grinding. Coming a long way from being used for the same purpose of a windmill, modern day treadmills are great tools for helping people to decrease their body fat percentage, increase flexibility, lose weight, build endurance, gain stamina, reduce blood pressure, and countless other benefits associated with treadmill usage.

Altrhough the treadmills of today can ultimately be traced back to the 19th century, todays treadmills are based off of the models that were built in the middle of the 20th century, rather than the 19th. Once the 1960′s came along, the fitness equipment industry emerged as a function of a public yearning to become healthier and the treadmill boom took effect. No longer were treadmills solely owned and operated by doctors, inventors and fitness gurus, ordinary Americans were intrigued by the health benefits associated with treadmills. Capitalists quickly realized the popularity of treadmills and decided that the commercial production of treadmills, both residential and gym (health club quality), would be an optimal investment. While the fitness equipment industry blossomed, treadmills were pushed by fitness equipment manufacturers such as Tunturi (a bicycle making business based out of Finland) & Aerobics Inc (American), developed several different models of treadmills. Even NASA (National Aeronautics Space Association) jumped on the treadmill bandwagon as NASA used treadmills to train astronauts and get them in shape for long orbits in space.

With features including user-friendly interactive workout programming, wireless heart rate controls, entertainment centers with TV, DVD, Internet & iPod functions, and an aesthetic appeal that resembles modern art more than draconian machinery, treadmills have come a long way since their nineteenth century inception. Fitness equipment companies such as Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, StairMaster and Body-Solid, have all contributed significantly to the evolution of the treadmill, evidenced by the amount of money, time, and analysis these fitness equipment brands have invested.

If you are interested in purchasing a treadmill, let us educate you on the different parts and controls of home and commercial treadmills. Treadmill parts and products include the running belt, motor controllers, treadmill motors, running deck, frame, treadmill rollers, incline wheels, drive belts, tension motors, braking mechanisms and electronic consoles. In order to simplify things for you, make sure you buy a treadmill that has a solid steel frame, a speed motor that has at least 2.0HP, a running deck that is at least 18″W x 58″L, and an iron-clad warranty that backs up all of these treadmill parts in writing. One good thing about a saturated fitness equipment industry is that you get the benefit of having a wide selection of treadmills to chose from. Whether you are a novice or an expert, there is no benefit in buying a treadmill that is not built well. Always do your homework when it comes to buying fitness equipment such as treadmills in order to prevent yourself from not getting full value for your money.

Often looked past, is the suspension system and the suspension on a treadmill is key toward keeping its users in good health. What good is running miles and miles, while burning tons of calories, just to wake up the next morning, with severe aches and pains, because the suspension on the treadmill resembled more of an asphalt road than a grass field. Certain treadmill features come to mind when considering purchasing a treadmill and many of us look right past the suspension, while analyzing the speed, power incline, exercise programs, fitness tests and its cosmetic appearance.

People love to run in the morning, afternoon, put a reflector on and run at night. Run for fun. Running has an interesting way of making us feel healthier mentally and physically speaking. We sleep better, feel lighter, have more stamina, look healthier and eat more balanced diets when running and daily exercise are like second nature and intrinsic to our everyday lives. Other pieces of fitness equipment such as stair climbers, rowing machines and elliptical trainers are all effective cardiovascular training machines, however, treadmills give us the ability to run for as long, and as fast as possible, while allowing users to truly mimic their natural running and walking motions.

Millions of people take time out of their day to walk, jog or run on a treadmill. After all, the classic workout incorporates warming up through stretching, working with strength equipment, and running on a treadmill. Running on treadmills allow our bodies to look and feel young. Commercial health clubs and home gyms can not be complete without a gym grade, health club quality treadmill. One of the many great things about treadmills, is that they are beneficial for everyone including teenagers, adults, senior citizens, beginners, professional athletes, and even those who are disabled. Daily exercise is necessary, and treadmill usage is essential, for all people that want to burn calories, lose weight, gain speed, build endurance and get in shape.

As we get older we become heavier and less mobile. Having an inactive and lethargic lifestyle in unhealthy. When attacking laziness, the optimal approach is to set goals, and make them realistic. You must have some form of self motivation as well in order to get out of bed and make it happen. As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink! So if you are not thirsty, and hungry for a fun and healthy life just stop reading right now and get back to doing nothing and eating corn dogs with extra cheese. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who have aspirations of looking and feeling good, then listen up. There is a road to looking good and it does not travel through pharmacies and plastic surgeons. The road towards success, which remember is a journey, not a destination, starts and ends in your mind. If you are determined to lose weight and get healthy, then it will happen, but if not, well then good luck with staying out of doctors offices and hospitals. Seriously, there is a reason that we (U.S.A) are not in the top 10 when it comes to life expectance rates in the world, and that reason is that we do not take care of ourselves. If you ask the average American what a recumbent bike is, they would have no clue! I would be willing to bet that ninety-percent of people do not know what an elliptical is, or what the difference between a folding and non-folding treadmill is!