According to Fitbit, walking is the most popular form of exercise, followed by running. Why is that? Both walking and running are forms of exercise that we all know how to do and is something that we do on a daily basis in one form or the other. Furthermore, these exercises are safe, don't require additional knowledge on how to do it, easy to stick with, and are low- or no-cost. All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes and you're good to go.
Often times, the first exercise equipment you see when walking into a gym is a treadmill, a machine that allows gym-goers to walk or run in place. If walking and running are so popular and anyone can do it, then why do gyms have so many treadmills? The treadmill is often preferred if the weather is not cooperating, perhaps if it's too cold, too hot, or raining outside, or the user generally prefers a more climate controlled environment. Furthermore, treadmills have a myriad of features for the user. It offers a variety of workout options, from weight loss to performance, and provides feedback to the user, such as how many calories they've burned, distance and length of their walk or run, and their heartrate. In addition, people often use treadmills because they can do other tasks at the same time, like reading a book or watching TV on a tablet.
Treadmills offer a variety of features for a user. The specific treadmill used for this analysis is the Precor 833 Treadmill which can be found in the MIT Z Center. Below are features of this treadmill:
Because the majority of treadmills can be found in gyms, the primary users for treadmills are gym-goers. The age of this group ranges from mid-teen (minimum age to join a gym) and up. Treadmills can also be found at home, so adults ages thirty and above are also primary users of treadmills.