You will be surprised to know that a treadmill, currently one of the most popular exercise machines, started as a disciplinary device to reform the prisoners. Or that the first user of the treadmill was not a man but an animal… This brief overview will guide you through the exciting history of treadmill.
The Walking Power Machine
A treadmill was originally a device operated by an animal treading steps of a wheel to do some type of work. The first “home” treadmills appeared in the 19th century when farmers started to use portable treadmills invented for use by animals.
In 1834 a horse treadmill was patented (it’s been a prototype for a contemporary horse treadmill used to train racehorses):
Dog treadmills were quite popular kitchen equipment used to power centrifugal milk separator or a butter churn, or to run a bean sorter or a corn sheller.
Human powered treadmills were rare but were also used. The following picture shows the walking treadmill powering the crane.
Prison Treadmill
Human powered treadmills were fairly often used in prisons though. The innovation introduced in 1817 in England, the prison treadmill was meant to “reform the offenders” and to turn their power for good.
The prison treadmill was then introduced in America. In on of New York prisons, offenders stepped on the mill for 10 hours a day grinding grain:
Fitness Treadmill
It was early 20th century that treadmills were first introduced in the health center as a cardio workout machine. The treadmill was used to test patients for heart and lung disease. In 1933 Popular Science magazine published an article describing how treadmills can be used as a “training track”:
A one-man training track for runners is part of the equipment recently installed by an English sporting club. The device consists of a small treadmill platform with an upright pipe frame in front. Gripping the frame, the runner begins his workout, a speedometer at one side of the apparatus indicating how fast he is going…
Home Treadmill
Almost at the same time treadmills started to be used at home as an exercise machine for pets! In 1930 there was a cool post in Modern Mechanix magazine:
the treadmill pictured here will enable the family pet to get all the exercise he needs on the back porch or the front lawn, and if the weather gets too severe he may do his daily dozen in the kitchen.
Treadmills got popular fairly fast. By the 1960s the treadmill became a popular piece of fitness equipment in gyms and in homes. 1960 cartoon featured a popular character George Jetson running the treadmill with his dog, Astro:
