A Fascinating Fact to Make You Laugh … And Think!

Yesterday, I came across a fascinating fact to make you laugh. While the fact I came across yesterday may be funny, I hope it gets you thinking about your mindset towards exercise…and the modes with which you choose to get your activity.

Do you know what treadmills used to be used for?

TORTURE (among other things).

Seriously! It’s true. Here’s a Wikipedia link that discusses the details.  

According to the page, “Treadmills were introduced before the development of powered machines, to harness the power of animals or humans to do work, often a type of mill that was operated by a person or animal treading steps of a treadwheel to grind grain. In later times, treadmills were used as punishment devices for people sentenced to hard labour in prisons.

Treadmills for punishment were installed in 1818 by an English engineer named Sir William Cubitt. Noting idle prisoners, he proposed using their muscle power to both cure their idleness and produce useful work.”

Unfortunately, many people still view treadmills in this way.

Despite being the most popular piece of equipment in a gym, the apathy with which people approach them is palpable.

It’s almost like people feel they need to use a treadmill to “do their penance”.

In this way, people are still using them as “torture devices”, albeit self-inflicted. To make matters worse, their high level of use makes them the primary culprits of unnatural stride mechanics, repetitive use injuries, and a frenzy of frustration among exercisers.

You may mistakenly think that I’m against cardiovascular exercise. I’m not.

However, I believe there are many more effective and enjoyable ways to improve your cardiovascular function. Especially compared to slogging away on a high-tech torture device.

Some examples are…getting outside for a run, bike ride, or walk. You could go swimming, do calisthenics, or one of the many types of fitness circuits available to you.

Regardless of what option you choose…do it for the right reasons!

Do it to honour your body. Expand your future potential. Because you enjoy how great it feels when you are putting effort into becoming a better you.

Here’s a great example of how a flawed mindset can creep into the everyday fitness experience. Be diligent in fighting this sneaky negative mindset creep. It can impact everything else you do in life.

If you are driving to the gym to work out, please don’t be the person who circles the parking lot for 5 or more minutes looking for a spot that’s closer to the door!

Perhaps you’ve heard people lamenting about how it’s so hard to find time to “go to the gym”.

These are often the people who use that “gym time” to walk on a treadmill or use the step machine. Despite taking the elevator to their office or apartment.

Can you see how a simple mindset shift in our daily life can make a tremendous difference in both the amount of exercise we get and how it’s perceived?

Next time you are complaining about having to walk an extra block, or climb a few flights of stairs, decide to consciously flip your mindset and embrace the fact that you are getting in a few more minutes of (often much needed) exercise.

Additionally, focus on your gratitude for having the opportunity to feel your muscles working. Feel your heart pumping and be thankful that you are physically able to do these things.

The more often you do this, the longer you will be able to enjoy these experiences in life.

I hope you enjoyed the fascinating fact to make you laugh. And finally, PLEASE hire a qualified and experienced coach so you can get more value from your gym membership, body, and life. To get started, contact us HERE!

It sure beats simply renting access to some random machine in a gym!

 

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