From penal labor to fitness: the treadmill's dark industrial origins
In short: Before it was a staple of modern gyms, the treadmill served as a grueling tool for forced labor in British prisons. This video explores how a machine designed for mechanical power became a mechanism for punishment.
The transition from industrial utility to exercise equipment began with William Cubitt, who adapted the treadwheel for use within the British prison system. Rather than being used for health, prisoners were forced to perform repetitive labor on these machines to generate mechanical power.
By examining this evolution, we can see how technology intended for production was repurposed as a method of discipline before eventually being reimagined as a tool for personal fitness.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Prison Origins of the Treadmill
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