READING COMPREHENSION

The treadmill, now a popular fitness machine, has a dark and twisted history rooted in punishment. Invented in 1818 by English engineer Sir William Cubitt, the original treadmill was designed to reform and punish prisoners in English prisons, which were notorious for their brutal conditions. Prisoners were forced to walk on large paddle wheels, driving gears that performed tasks like pumping water and grinding grain. This grueling activity was meant to "whip prisoners into shape" while also contributing to the economy.

Prisoners often spent up to six hours a day on these treadmills, the equivalent of climbing thousands of feet, leading to exhaustion and injury. The use of treadmills spread throughout the British Empire and the United States, with many prisons adopting the device. The physical and mental strain on prisoners was so severe that by the late 19th century, treadmills were banned in England for being excessively cruel.

However, the treadmill made a comeback in the 20th century, repurposed for fitness rather than punishment. By the 1970s, during the jogging craze in the U.S., treadmills became a popular tool for improving aerobic fitness and losing weight. Despite its grim origins, the treadmill has remained a staple in modern exercise routines, now controlled by the user rather than by prison guards.