When you use a treadmill for exercise, you usually use it indoors. The equipment lets the user walk or run while being in the same place. Often treadmill can make one think of a kind of mill operated by a human or an animal treading on a wheel to grind grain.
The principle is a belt system where the top of the belt moves to the rear so as to allow a runner to run an equal, and necessarily opposite speed. You can easily set and measure the speed of the run. (the pace of the belt's motion is the speed that the runner will maintain) The motor driven versions are more expensive and heavy duty. For a less expensive treadmill that is simple and light, go with a passive version. It is not mechanized, and it is powered by the exerciser and just offers resistance to motion.
Treadmills History.
The treadmill was invented in 1875. The first machine was a "lever power" treadmill and was used for agriculture. To accommodate various sized animals they were in various sizes. The little treadmills were operated by dogs and sheep to deliver power to the fanny mills or butter churns they were connected to. The larger ones were driven by horses to run threshing machines.
The 1st Treadmill for Medical Benefits.
In 1952 the first medical machine was invented by UW cardiologist Robert Bruce, called the father of exercise cardiology, along with UW staffer Wayne Quinton. The Standard Stress Test was invented to help diagnose lung and heart problems and to see the severity of those diseases. Quinton later sold his interest to Stairmaster, who was subsequently bought by Nautilus.
Tunturi treadmill tips.
The company Tunturi was founded in 1922 as a bicycle repair shop. Because of their innovative W1 exercise bicycle, this company is often regarded as a pioneer in the physical fitness equipment business. Based in Finland, today they have the enviable reputation as being one of the leading and best-known manufactures of high class fitness equipment, including exercise bikes, steppers, and rowers.
Aerobics, Inc.
In the late 1960's Bill Staub noticed that treadmills were very expensive and were used mainly as medical testing machines. Staub was a medical engineer, this helped him to economically construct a home treadmill. He sent Dr. Cooper a model, and it impressed him so much that he was able to sell the initial batch of several hundred to people referred to him. In 1968, Dr. Coopers firm Aerobics, Inc., started the manufacture of PaceMaster. Since that time, they have evolved from manufacturing basic treadmills to manufacturing apparatus with computerized and automatic functions.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration USA.
The U.S. space program used treadmills onboard Skylab to keep the astronauts in good shape, while they were in a gravity free environment. This first treadmill used in outer space was merely a Teflon-coated plate that allowed the feet to slide as an astronaut ran in place with bungee cord tethers.