The history of the treadmill and how it turned into a huge industry. Many of us have used a treadmill before. Years ago it was used as a torture device, and then used by upper class people for exercise until the 1960's when it began to have broader adoption in the population. Years ago, large gym chains opened up such as Jack La Lane and Bally's that offered treadmills and they became more popular as people became more active and embraced running and walking for the health of it. Over time, the price to acquire a treadmill has come down for the average person and those who are savvy shoppers can often find a gym style treadmill that has just come off of lease from a health club that is better built than most of the consumer level machines we find at our local sporting goods store. The Washington post recently reviewed the history of the treadmill and the future of this great technology. Check it out here A machine that used to be considered punishment is now a $1.4 billion fitness industry By Mike Plunkett January 31 As the weather turns colder, Jen Forman will do what she’s always done to get her runs in: She’ll go to her treadmill in her home, press start and run until she’s done. And she will hate every moment of it. “I will continue to press the speed button to get a treadmill workout done as quickly as possible,” said Forman, 38, of Gaithersburg. “But I can’t live without it, because if it’s snowing outside or I have my kids at home, I can’t leave and go for a run.” In its 2016 survey, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) found that more than 50 million Americans said they used a treadmill at least once in the previous year. Yet if the monotonous motion feels like torture, well, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The tread wheel, a variation of what we know as the modern treadmill, was used in the 1800s to keep British prisoners from idleness but more so for hard labor. Read more