ABOUT CLUB TREAD
A New Wave of Wellness
At Club Tread, our mission is simple: to spread the joy of treading. What started as a fun way to work out with friends has grown into a global movement. We believe treading isn’t just great for your body—it’s a powerful way to connect and build community.
A Serendipitous Start
Back in the early 2000s, Betsy and her Kiwi friend Claire spent a summer break at her aunt’s lake house on Lake Lanier. After some sunbathing, Betsy and Claire jumped off the dock and began chatting while treading water. Claire, new to warm Southern waters, was instantly hooked.
They decided to do a deep catch-up, covering six life categories: (1) Friends, (2) Family, (3) Finance, (4) Love, (5) School/Work, and (6) Health—now affectionately known as “the six” and still very much a thing. An hour and then some flew by. When they climbed out, they were energized, refreshed, and starving.
“Let’s do that again tomorrow and set goals for each of the six categories.”
And just like that, a new favorite tradition was born: treading water to exercise and socialize.
Pandemic Revival
Fast forward to fall 2020—lockdown life had everyone feeling stir-crazy. In Boulder, CO, Betsy was no exception. So when the local rec center reopened its pool (by reservation only), she had an idea: book side-by-side lanes and catch up with her friend Kate while treading water.
Kate was skeptical about treading for a full hour—but she showed up. And by the end? They both agreed to make it a weekly thing: one hour of movement, conversation, and sanity.
As restrictions eased, their duo grew. Soon, they were a solid crew of six—treading, laughing, and staying connected through it all.
The Evolution of Treading:
Enter the Weights
A couple years later, while visiting family in Wisconsin, Betsy recruited her husband and brother-in-law to join her for a tread session at the local YMCA. There, she spotted a 10-pound black diving brick by the pool and picked it up. Holding it above water for even a few seconds substantially ramped the intensity of the workout. They all took turns lifting it for 60-second intervals while treading—and just like that, the brick became a winter break tread staple.
Back in Boulder, a few weeks later, Betsy found a U-shaped 5-pound push-up weight at Target. She bought it on a hunch—maybe it could work as a weight to add intensity to her tread. She and Kate started holding it above water for a minute every 10 minutes. Then came the breakthrough: they draped it around the back of the neck—and it stayed. Instant upgrade.
Soon, the whole group was wearing neck weights. Swimmers started asking questions: “What are you doing?” “What’s that around your neck?” and eventually—“Where can I get one?”
That’s when Kate and Betsy knew it was time to level up. The DIY neck weight wasn’t cutting it comfort-wise, so they got to work designing their own Club Tread Vest—a wearable, water-ready weight made for serious (but fun) treading.
(this is currently at the bottom of the evolution paragraph, but I think it seems a bit out of place and should be moved to the Spread the Tread section below.)
Discovering this workout has been a total game-changer—and now we want to share the love. Our goal? To start a movement where people come together for full-body exercise and real connection. It’s fun, it’s energizing, and it just feels good.
Spread the Tread
WHAT THE TREADHEADS ARE SAYING
"I love to tread because of how easy it is to get a full body workout with little impact.
I’m rarely sore after tread, but I’m always hungry, so I can tell it burns a lot of calories. I recently had a baby and it was vital for regaining strength in a gradual and gentile way, during a time I certainly couldn’t lift weights. We have a back yard pool that’s deep enough to tread water. I simply pop in over a lunch break. It’s a great way to catch up with friends around the neighborhood too. Before we know it, we’ve chatted away an hour of exercising! It’s also a great thing to fit into family time at the pool— tread while playing Marco Polo, or while waiting for a kid to jump in. I tread whenever, for however long, with any or no weight. Highly recommend!"
- Kathleen A., Longmont, CO
