Aesthetic Treadmill: A Gym Designer's Favourite Eco-Friendly Treadmills — Wellness Designers + Gym Consultants

A number of eco-friendly, nature-inspired, and/or manually powered running machines have recently come onto the market, replacing the conventional treadmill with more sustainable options. Desk treadmills, designed for walking and light jogging, offer benefits for working from home or in an office setting by providing ease of storage, sturdiness, and functionality. This opens up the possibility of integrating this crucial piece of home gym equipment into our Biofit nature gym designer decisions without there being a complete culture clash of old vs new!

Nature gyms & Home Gym Equipment & Cardio equipment

While we still shy away from high-tech machinery loaded up with plasma screens and wifi connectivity that result in a considerably less mindful training experience for the end-user, as nature gym designers we also recognise that treadmills are a sine qua non of any upscale gym set-up and we have already been integrating them into our forthcoming eco gyms in luxury resorts and hotels around the world. This is happening, in other words! Under desk treadmills can also be used in conjunction with a standing desk for a versatile workout setup, allowing users to walk while working. These treadmills are compact, sturdy, and often come with additional accessories like phone holders, making them ideal for small apartments or office spaces. Treadmills are essential for users to adjust speeds and track their progress based on their fitness goals. So, which models are our current favourites?

Eco treadmill no.1 / Woodway Curve Manual Treadmill

The original and, for some, still the best, the Woodway Curve is a non-electric treadmill with a heavily curved running belt that feels great underfoot, with just the right balance between rugged foot traction and bounce to make for a comfortable run in a home gym or fitness centre set-up.

Compared to a walking treadmill, which is compact, portable, and ideal for small spaces, the Woodway Curve offers a more robust design and is specifically calibrated for sprint training.

Unlike a traditional treadmill, which is larger, has steep inclines, and is designed for jogging or running with arm bars and arm rests, the Woodway Curve is perfectly calibrated for sprint training. Although it may take 10 minutes to familiarise first-time users with its resistance, once they get a feel for it, there is a whole lot of fun to be had with a Woodway… trust us!

Sprint training is in any case an essential part of our Biofit training method, on the assumption that most clients are looking for maximum bang for heir buck in a minimal amount of time. If that is the case, slow, steady jogs on an indoor treadmill are for rest and recovery days ONLY, unless you are training specifically for long-distances or are a professional athlete. In which case there is a good excuse.

If neither of those apply, then sprints are the way to go as the shorter training time means less overall impact on the joints, massive stamina gains and more all-round power development in your legs. The Curve does this better than just about any other machine out there, so what’s not to like?

Eco treadmill no. 2 / Technogym Skillmill

Technogym may have come late to the manual treadmill market but they were sure to incorporate a clever innovation or two when they designed the Skillmill and it is now a regular part of our training program in winter seasons.

There is the trademark black and yellow exterior aesthetic as well as an overall quality feel that has become Technogym’s brand in many ways. With this company, there are no questions over build quality, customer service or perception - it is a world leader in the industry and just about every high-end gym we’ve ever seen has at least a few pieces of equipment from them.

In this instance, the Skillmill has a lever on the right that allows a user to calibrate the resistance of the belt as well as multiple hand positions, allowing for several different positions. Crank the resistance right up and lean forward to create the sensation of pushing a sled uphill, or lean back and take the resistance off for your sprints. We like to throw in 10 minutes of slow but steady sled-pushing on an active recovery day as well as 10-minutes of sprints (45secs ON / 30 secs OFF) in a stamina session.

Taking a lesson from indoor cycles, the addition of multiple handles simply offers more training variety and is a worthy upgrade for this type of gym equipment.

Eco Treadmill no. 3 / SportsArt Verde

This hybrid model’s USP is that it harnesses the belt’s movement to generate modest amounts of energy, enough to charge an iphone, power the display and perhaps give a little back to the grid via an in-built inverter.

Beyond that however, despite its rather old school US-friendly design, it wins points for both mechanical and electrical breaking systems, meaning a user can control the km/hr speed via the control panel, giving regular treadmill users a more familiar method of changing gear during a workout. This is in contrast to, for example, the Woodway Curve and Technogym Skillmill, that both require a bit more getting used to.

SportsArt call themselves the ‘Green Sports Company’ and there is genuine substance behind that claim as they were behind the ECO-POWR eco-friendly treadmill launched in 2007 that gave a 32% reduction in power consumption. Over the last 11 years or so they have also turned their manufacturing facility into a sustainable hub, perhaps recognising that the materials required to build a treadmill are largely plastic and metal rather than natural materials.

As we have often said however, the sports industry as a whole has a long way to go in its efforts to be become more green, natural and eco-friendly; SportsArt may not have solved everything yet in terms of materials but they are way ahead of the rest of the pack so kudos to them.

Eco Treadmill no. 4 / Sprintbok Folding Treadmill

A new kid on the block, the Sprintbok sits in the upper segment of the eco-friendly, nature-inspired running machine segment, right alongside the Technogym Skillmill in terms of premium pricing in fact. Unlike foldable treadmills, which are compact and convenient for small spaces, the Sprintbok offers a unique blend of aesthetics and functionality. It is designed to take up minimal space, making it ideal for small areas. How do they justify that type of price tag?

Firstly, it has category-beating aesthetics that finally integrate some wood panelling into the exterior, something we’ve been asking for for a long time! A manual treadmill with no motor and a Made In France quality guarantee, it does not have multiple handles like the Technogym Skillmill nor does it give electricity back to the grid but it does come with a 10-year guarantee and, did we mention this already, looks darn good!

If you would like to know more about our eco-friendly, nature-inspired gym design services, including gym equipment sourcing, selection and gym floor zoning, please contact us at info @ biofit . io or press the icon in the top-left corner of this screen.