By Yeo Chee Yew
Treadmills are one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment in the world. Unsurprisingly, the demand for a home treadmill has only surged during the pandemic years, among other equipment. Running and brisk walking are some of the most popular physical activities in Singapore, after all. The home treadmill allows you to do so in the comforts of your home, without having to worry about the weather or pandemic restrictions.
While modern treadmills are primarily used (unless collecting dust) for exercise today, you might be surprised to learn that their origins go as far back as thousands of years ago, and had nothing to do with exercise!
Labour
Imagine a water wheel, but instead of being powered by flowing water, it is run by humans (and/or animals) treading on the paddles. This treadwheel is the fundamental basis of the treadmill we see today.
The gigantic hamster wheel allowed the ancient Romans to move 6 thousand kilograms of materials alone, which facilitated the construction of some of their most impressive structures like massive aqueducts. Variants of the treadmill have been found in Roman Europe, in mines from Spain to Romania. In the Middle Ages, treadwheel cranes even became instrumental in building lofty Gothic cathedrals.
These walking powered mills were also used for industrial purposes like pumping water out of mines. In the 19th century, mills became widely used on farms for labour such as grinding wheat, churning butter, kneading dough, etc. But by then, these machines could be run by water, wind, and animals. Some treadmills in this period even closely resemble what we see today - a conveyor belt system with an enclosure to keep the horse(s) walking on it to power machines.
Punishment - The First William
Executions and deportations were the common punishments meted out in English prisons during the 1800s. Those locked away faced hours of solitude in filthy cells. Social movements (led by religious groups or even celebrities like Charles Dickens) sought to rectify this issue. When their movement succeeded, entire prisons were remodelled and new forms of rehabilitation were introduced.
In 1818, English engineer Sir William Cubitt (famous for overseeing the construction of The Crystal Palace in London in 1851) came up with a solution. Here is how it worked: Prisoners stepped on 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel. As the wheel turned, the prisoner was forced to keep stepping up or risk falling off, not too dissimilar to our modern stair steppers. Meanwhile, the rotation made gears pump out water, crush grain, or power mills.
The invention arrived at an apt time. These devices were deemed a fantastic way to whip the formerly idle prisoners into shape while keeping prisoners separate. Its popularity skyrocketed, with as many as 109 (out of 200) British prisons utilising the system by 1842. Additionally, as prisons began providing necessities, people worried that the poor would commit crimes just to get free stuff. Such luxuries needed to be offset by labour—ideally, labour that was painful and possibly even pointless.
And it sure was painful. It is estimated that, on average, prisoners spent about six hours on the treadwheel daily. That’s about 1.5 to 4.3 kilometres. Imagine climbing halfway up Mount Everest five days a week with little food. Unsurprisingly, combining poor nutrition with heavy physical exertion led to multiple prisoners suffering breakdowns and injuries.
Within a century, the once-popular prison treadmill proved too cruel and pointless and was eventually scrapped in favour of education and actual labour (not simple work that could be outsourced to animals).
Revival - The Second William
By the 1960s, treadmills became used near exclusively by doctors like Dr Kenneth Cooper, who used them to conduct stress tests. In his 1968 book “Aerobics”, Cooper concluded that if you ran a mile (about 1.6 kilometres) in 8 minutes and did it four to five times a week, you would always be in a good fitness category.
The book served as inspiration for American mechanical engineer William Staub, who sought to develop commercial treadmills so people could run their eight-minute miles indoors.
“The treadmills we were using were very expensive, but there wasn’t one on the market for the masses. And that’s why he said, ‘We need this,’ ” Cooper said. “I encouraged it. I said, ‘If you can develop a treadmill that could be used in a home or an apartment it would be a slam dunk.’ And it was.”
Staub’s first treadmill — 40 steel rollers covered by an orange belt, a grey cover over the motor, and orange dials to determine time and speed, wasn’t a hit initially. The concept had been long gone from public discourse at this point. But it eventually revolutionized the way people exercise, and we see it everywhere now.
It’s raining; it’s too hot; it’s too early; it’s too late… Ever used one of the above as an excuse to skip running/walking? The treadmill covers all that. As with all forms of physical activity, run in moderation, and don’t bite off more than you can chew!
Stay tuned for more details on ActiveSG's upcoming brisk-walking event! While you are here, don't forget to check out the ActiveSG Sport Series page and subscribe for the latest updates!
Related Articles
Related Topics
Recent Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever, BlogPost 80700409988 Strength Training for Seniors, BlogPost 137536455174 Age Gracefully, Start Strength Training, BlogPost 145856643584 FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers: Singapore vs Korea Republic, BlogPost 144608971564 ActiveSG Football Academy sets up centralised development centres to broaden base for young players, BlogPost 144605361831 Hafiz Osman & sons' love affair with the beautiful game, BlogPost 137536455236 The Golden Years, BlogPost 142676085686 Singapore crowned Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 Champions!]