Treadmills of the Future

By Aaron O’Connor

While most of the big news in health technology seems to always focus on advanced surgeries or diagnostic instruments, there have been great advances in other areas as well. Treadmills have long been and remain a staple of the indoor exercise lineup, and have served countless people as an easy and convenient option for an aerobic workout. However, the treadmills of the future are not just the same old machines with a bunch of electronic gadgets attached, but push the limits of how the treadmill can be used and redefine its primary purpose. The treadmills of the future are here now, as can be seen from three new types: the pressurized treadmill, the vertical treadmill and the omnidirectional treadmill (ODT).

Pressurized Treadmill

The pressurized treadmill, also known as the anti-gravity treadmill, is primarily used by NASA in astronaut training, and by patients in physical therapy. This type of treadmill puts the runner or walker in a chamber suspended above the treadmill. The chamber supports some of the weight of the runner, effectively reducing the gravity on the treadmill. This reduction in effective gravity of almost 50 percent reduces the pressure on the runner’s legs, joints and feet. It is especially helpful in rehabilitating the injured.

The pressurized treadmill works by raising air pressure around the lower half of the runner, who is in a tent-like chamber. The Rocky Mountain News reports that a pressurized treadmill can provide a substantial aerobic workout while lowering “the peak force of heel impact by 44 percent.”

Vertical Treadmill

The vertical treadmill is basically a standard treadmill used for vertical or angled movement such as that required for climbing. All of the benefits of climbing and learning the skills necessary for climbing can now be accomplished in rooms with a limited ceiling height. Since the climber never really gets more than a few feet off the ground, there is little need to even wear a safety harness.

One of the most popular vertical treadmills is the ClimbStation. It uses hydraulic lifts to tilt the treadmill from 15 to -39 degrees for difficult climbs. Climbers first select a level of difficulty from 1 to 12, but this does not control the speed, which is determined by how fast the climber is moving. This allows the climber to slow down or even stop to rest or think about the next move.

In the US, NASA is using vertical treadmills in order to keep astronauts in space fit and healthy. The best part about NASA’s vertical treadmill is that astronauts can actually use the vertical treadmill for running. Using this treadmill in space has shown to promote physical well-being in zero gravity situations.

Omnidirectional Treadmill

An update on what’s going on with current initiatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The topics addressed include:

• Goals to bring about various public health innovations
• Childhood deaths
• The miracle of vaccines
• Malaria
• Polio eradication
• HIV/AIDS
• Helping teachers improve
• Online learning initiatives
• Agriculture
• The breakdown of the amount of aid rich countries provide
• Future plans – Looking ahead

Letter from Bill Gates

Introduction Excerpt (source: The Gates Foundation):

The focus of this year’s letter is innovation and how it can make the difference between a bleak future and a bright one.
2009 was the first year my full-time work was as co-chair of the foundation, along with Melinda and my dad. It’s been an incredible year and I enjoyed having lots of time to meet with the innovators working on some of the world’s most important problems. I got to go out and talk with people making progress in the field, ranging from teachers in North Carolina to health workers fighting polio in India to dairy farmers in Kenya. Seeing the work firsthand reminds me of how urgent the needs are as well as how challenging it is to get all the right pieces to come together. I love my new job and feel lucky to get to focus my time on these problems.

Recently, I was contacted by Barbara Dunn from Kimberly-Clark Worldwide to inform the readers of the Public Health Bugle about the organization’s campaign to prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections.

The Department of Health & Human Services recently released its annual report on the quality of health care Americans receive. While there have been some improvements, hospitals still have work to do to put an end to the ongoing – but solvable – problem of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

To help achieve this goal, Kimberly-Clark Health Care launched “Not on My Watch” (www.haiwatch.com), a website that provides tools and information to help facilities eliminate HAIs.

Check it out!

Thanks Barbara

Thanks Miguel Barbosa from Simonlon Sense for suggesting an interesting link from the United Health Foundation:

For over 20 years, America’s Health Rankings® has been tracking the state of our nation’s health. This analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on our national health issues, state by state. The 2010 Rankings features an interactive map where you can explore these statistics, compare states side-by-side, and learn what we can do to improve our health in the future.

America’s Health Ranking – An interactive link!

–Please do not repost without acknowledging the Public Health Bugle–

Today, I’m joining educators across the U.S. to kick off National Drug Facts Week by offering up my own shout-out for educating teens about drug abuse. Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Drug Facts Week is an official health observance designed to shatter the myths and spread the facts about drug abuse and addiction. To learn more about today’s “CyberShoutout” in support of National Drug Facts Week, checkout Sara Bellum Blog.

My discussion today will start off with a brief understanding of the world of drugs. Then I will delve deep into current data that looks at the prevalence of illegal drug use in the U.S. and current research that will take us to some interesting places. By the end of the article, I hope to provide insightful knowledge that teens can use to prevent illicit drug and alcohol use.

When discussing drugs, it’s best to understand that they can be categorized into four groups (image courtesy of David McCandless of Information Is Beautiful). It’s interesting to note that Cannabis falls right in the center as the “Super Drug,” and that Alcohol is categorized as a “Depressant.”

Now, what is the prevalence of illicit drug use by teens? Recent data (2007) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that:

• 8.0% of persons 12 years of age and over have used illicit drug in the past month.
  

• 5.8% of persons 12 years of age and over have used marijuana use in the past month.
  

• 2.8% of persons 12 years of age and over have used a psychotherapeutic drug (for non-medical use) in the past month.
  

Also, a report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy found that even though there is a “significant downturn in usage levels, they remain at high levels and it has been shown that the earlier drug use is initiated, the more likely a person is to develop drug problems later in life.” It goes without saying that there are a number of health effects that can undermine a teen’s academic performance, peer and family relations, and even lead to increased chances of juvenile delinquencies. In relation to excessive alcohol consumption and marijuana use, a recent report published in the January 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (summary found HERE) found that “drinking during adolescence alters normal developmental processes in a way that negatively impacts learning and social adjustment into adulthood.” In other words…alcohol consumption is associated with BRAINDAMAGE! To learn more about U.S. trends for teen illicit drug use, please visit the following LINK.

I want to share three pieces of research that have been conducted this year.