Running, jogging, and walking have become increasingly popular as being a beneficial activity for losing weight, building muscle, and improving cardiovascular health. Studies have also recorded benefits to mental health and overall well-being for those who participate in regular cardiovascular activity. Many participants have access to outdoor trails, walks, running tracks, and other designated areas for exercise, including fitness clubs, gymnasiums, and exercise centers, but others cannot use these resources due to weather, costs, travel time, and home and family needs.
Over time, home exercise solutions have been developed to address the needs of fitness-conscious consumers who are home-bound, time-restricted, or budget-conscious. Home treadmills have allowed some consumers to bring running, jogging, and walking activities indoors, but are often a burden on the user due to their traditionally large size and weight, leaving few options for those with low available space and those who lack the strength to move around large and heavy machines. Many varieties of folding treadmills have been produced to allow a treadmill to compact into a smaller space when in a storage position. Such folding treadmills efficiently use space whether within a home or exercise center. However, even folding treadmills are not always convenient to place under existing furniture or within a small space within an office, home, or gym. The inclusion of a flywheel and electric motor is a significant factor in their size, contributing to a high profile of the treadmill, even while folded. Generally, treadmills also tend to have a high profile due to handlebars and status panel equipment adding thickness to the treadmill, even while stowed in a folded or collapsed position. The inclusion of wheels and other transportation features also tend to add thickness and weight to the treadmill.
One type of foldable exercise machine, including treadmills, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,987 to Donald Allemand. This reference describes a treadmill that is portable by folding into a relatively compact size when not in use. The treadmill has telescoping handles that can be reduced in size and release tension on the belt of the base when turned downward. The base also folds in half for storage with the handle being placed on top of the belt halfway across its top surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,622 to Rodney L. Hammer describes a treadmill having a motorized tread base and a folding handrail that folds relative to the tread base such that the treadmill achieves a low profile when the handrail is in a folded position. The treadmill includes: (i) a tread base, the tread base comprising first and second rollers and an endless belt movably trained about the first and second rollers; (ii) a motor coupled to the tread base, the motor also being movably coupled to the first roller such that the motor selectively turns the first roller, thereby causing the belt to move; and (iii) a handrail pivotally coupled to the tread base, the handrail selectively folding with respect to the tread base. In a preferred embodiment, the treadmill is less than about 8 inches in height when the handrail is in a folded position. Other types of low profile exercise machines are described in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0123073 to Michael Olson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,347 to William T. Dalebout, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,747 to Yong S. Chu. Each of the above mentioned references are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.