By Paige Acklie, Agricultural Communications Experiential Learning Lab Reporter
The University of Arkansas Recreation Fitness Center (UREC) is starting to incorporate sustainable, non-motorized, eco-friendly treadmills such as the EcoMill, in the HPER and Union workout facilities.
“We needed a way to add more equipment options in our fitness center, but we were tapped for power, so we learned of the EcoMill through Woodway as an option and we had space on the floor so we were able to squeeze two in there,” said Jeremy Battjes, director of university recreation.
Not all treadmills require electricity to operate. The EcoMill is a self-powered treadmill that runs differently than a standard treadmill.
“It activates more muscles and you burn up to 30% more calories when you’re using that machine versus a standard treadmill,” said Kristin DeAngelo, assistant director of facilities university recreation.
The EcoMill challenges users to work harder since an engine is not turning the belt.
The EcoMill has a lot of benefits such as burning extra calories and being energy efficient. Manual treadmills also do not contain as many moving and electrical parts, which result in less problems and maintenance.
Battjes said they have good luck with the EcoMill. “A lot of it is some students who are a little more intense about their fitness [and] our older population likes them because they’re walkers so it works well for them,” said Battjes.
The EcoMill does not require nearly as much work as a standard treadmill. When using an EcoMill, “you’re making the belt turn with every step and that’s why it has that curve to it,” said Battjes.
“It provides more of a natural step by allowing you to do that heel to toe movement that is best for when you’re walking,” said DeAngelo.
There is a total of four EcoMills on campus. Two EcoMills were brought into the Donna Axum Fitness Center during the summer of 2011 and the other two are in the UREC. The UREC Fitness Center opened in March 2012 and “they were there when we opened, so that was one of the pieces we knew we wanted to incorporate with their design,” said DeAngelo.
All of the ellipticals and bikes located in the fitness centers are also self-powered.
“When you jump on you can see that the screen doesn’t pop up until you actually start moving because you have to generate enough electricity and then the screen will work,” said DeAngelo.
DeAngelo says the movement you do on certain machines is incorporated into lowering the machines [carbon] footprint.
“Students want the gimmicks with their equipment, so they want to be able to plug their Ipod and Ipad in, so we have cable TV built right into them so we have to balance that need and want with the option to be sustainable on the equipment,” said Battjes.
The EcoMill can still provide information about your workout, such as time, distance and calories burned even though there is no electricity running though the machine.
Motivating students to conserve energy and use the cost efficient equipment is what the U of A hopes to see. Using the self-powered machines causes students’ to burn more calories while conserving electricity at the same time. Avid runners and walkers should consider using the EcoMill to save electricity and challenge themselves.