I'm a big fitness fan, and they tell me
that this is where they test all the fitness equipment.
Now I'm looking for Peter Anzalone.
He's the chief treadmill tester.
I'm wondering where he--
Peter, there you are.
How are you doing?
How are you?
OK, Peter, what is this?
This is treadmill testing.
Oh, yeah?
You want to try one?
I'd love to.
Why not?
All right.
And here we go.
Staff here design and built these two machines jogging
alongside me.
Both are nicknamed Johnny, and they help the test team
scientifically assess the durability of each treadmill.
We built these machines to simulate someone
using the treadmill.
With a person, it's not just the uniform test.
What are those green things that are on it?
These green things represent feet.
We used to use sneakers, but those wore out.
The determined pounding of the Johnnies is relentless.
Indoor running machines were invented in the early 1800s
and originally recalled tread wheels,
but they weren't intended for exercise.
They were punishment in English prisons.
Inmates would walk for hours on what were ominously referred
to as everlasting staircases.
In the process, it has been said they turned grain into flour
like a human-powered mill.
Hence, the modern name--
treadmill.
Now more than 50 million Americans
use these machines to stay fit, including me.
But after a while, I'm starting to feel
like a hamster on a wheel.
Peter, I give up.
Make it stop, please.
All right.
Please.
During the test, these machines run
for 25 hours in one-hour increments, the equivalent
of a person running down almost the entire coastline of South
Carolina.
What we're trying to do is figure out
how well a treadmill performs when someone uses it.
We're constantly monitoring the forces
to make sure the forces are within a certain range, kind
of looking at the wear and tear of a treadmill.
Durability is one thing.
Testers are also looking for ease of use, safety,
and its exercise appeal.
So we try to target all of those areas
and then come up with a result that people can evaluate.
I'm assuming it's, tall people probably
need a longer treadmill.
Am I right on that?
Well, interestingly enough, height
is not related to stride length.
So a tall person might take shorter strides
and a small person, long, loping strides.
So in the case of someone who does take a long stride, yeah,
the running belt is definitely something you need to look at.
If you can, try before you buy.
Here's some key things to think about.
Comfort and ease-- do the cushioning and shock
absorption feel comfortable?
And is the display monitor easy to read?
When you walk or run, do your feet hit the motor housing
in the front of the machine?
Can you reach the controls?
Think about where you'll put the treadmill in your home.
You'll want two to three feet of clearance on the sides
and six to eight feet in the back.
Performance-- will it go as fast as you want,
and is the incline high enough for your workout?
The best thing you need to look for
is something that will achieve your fitness goals.
If you know what you wanna do, you
know the fitness goals you want to achieve,
people can evaluate and decide what
the best product is for them.
I'm no match against the machine,
but at least now I can find which treadmill will give me
a run for my money.