How to Use a Treadmill Safely

By Philip Yiga | September 22, 2016

Using a treadmill can be a great way of ”working-out” in order to lose weight or stay physically fit. However, treadmills can actually be dangerous in case they are used in an improper or without following safety-precautions and this actually implies that you need to take caution when working-out on a treadmill. In fact, treadmills are equipped with a rotating-belt that is harsh to your legs and this is why it’s very important to put wear athletic shoes before stepping onto a treadmill and you should always keep your children away from treadmills when under operation. So, in this article i will provide you with some of safety-precautions to follow when using a treadmill so that you don’t get accidents or injuries while having a workout.

SECTION-1: How To Position A Treadmill Safely Within Your Home:

1. Place the treadmill in a safer location: you should always consider placing your treadmill in a safer location which is most probably away from the windows, walls or mirrors because such objects can cause extreme injuries in case you accidentally fall on them as you work-out on a treadmill. So, always position your treadmill in an open space with no objects on all sides for best safety results.
2. Position the power-cords away from foot-traffic: after setting up your treadmill, carefully place any power-cables away from any foot-traffic surrounding your treadmill. This is very important because it will avoid any potential accidents that may be caused by stepping onto the cables as you workout or step-off the treadmill.
3. Place your TV-set in-front of the treadmill: if you wish to watch TV while having a workout on your treadmill, then consider placing your TV-set straight-across and in-front of the treadmill so that you can be able to watch it easily as you exercise. Additionally, place this TV-set on any stable furniture and far away from where the treadmill is located so that you won’t be able to fall into the TV in case you accidentally fall-off the treadmill.
4. Store the treadmill in a secure-room: you should always store a treadmill in secured room in case you’re having children in order prevent them from playing around the treadmill which can be risky for them.

SECTION-2: How To Exercise Safely On A Treadmill:

1. Wear athletic shoes: before stepping onto a treadmill, you actually need to wear proper athletic-shoes in order to prevent injuries while working-out on a treadmill. In fact, if you’re athletic shoes have laces then make sure that the knots are well-secured so that the laces don’t get trapped into the treadmills rotating-belt while having a workout.
2. Step onto the treadmill’s side-rails: when stepping onto the treadmill, place each foot outside of the rotating-belt or on the side-rails and then switch-on the treadmill. This procedure is actually a safety-precaution taken in case your treadmill starts at an extremely faster pace you don’t know. Additionally, this procedure will allow you to easily start-up the treadmill and even adjust it to a preferred workout-speed without experiencing any disruptions.
3. Step onto the moving treadbelt: when your treadmill is operating, gently step onto its treadbelt and then begin working-out by simply walking or jogging at a slower-pace for about 5-to-10 minutes because this helps to loosen or warm-up your body muscles and joints. In fact, this will help to gradually increase your blood-flow and heart-rate while lowering and potential risk of injuries.
4. Increase on speed and incline gradually: afterwards, consider increasing the treadmill’s speeds and incline gradually over a given period of time as you continue to work out on a treadmill. In fact, as you become more comfortable with using the treadmill, its recommended to increase on its speed and incline in order to achieve a more challenging workout that meets your fitness-goals.
5. Gently end your treadmill workout: when ending your treadmill workout, you need to gradually reduce on your speed and incline until your heart reaches a calmer-level. Continue to gradually reduce incline and speed until your treadmill completely stops.
6. Switch-off the treadmill and step-down: you should switch-off the treadmill and then carefully or slowly step-down in order to prevent experiencing any sudden dizziness after having a workout.

Tips To Consider If You Want To Work-Out On A Treadmill Safely:

• Always put on athletic-shoes before stepping onto a treadmill in order to protect your feet from the harsh treadbelt and to achieve a more comfortable workout.

 

• Remember to gradually increase on your workout speed and incline when using a treadmill for best results. Additionally, always remember to slow your workout-pace gradually you stop your treadmill completely in order to prevent any accidents from occurring.

 

• Always consider pausing or turning-off the treadmill in case you need to step-off for a brief-moment. This will actually to prevent any children or family-members from getting hurt by coming around the treadmill when you’re away.

 

• Consistently walk/run in the center on the rotating treadbelt in order to prevent yourself falling-off the treadmill as you workout. In fact, if you get positioned too-close to the rear then there is a risk of falling-off the treadmill and if you position yourself too-close to the front-section of the belt then you may trip onto the motor-cover.

 

• Press the “stop-button” immediately in order to decrease on your workout-speed and to stop the treadmill in case an emergency occurs. For example, if you drop any gadget while having a workout, then consider pressing the stop-button before you get-off the treadmill to retrieve that gadget.

 

• Lastly, only use handrails for a few minutes at the beginning of your workout or until you get familiar with a specific workout speed and incline. This is because holding onto handrails reduces on the overall effectiveness of your workout and its actually recommended to swing your arms freely/naturally as you workout in order to achieve effective results.

Note: all in all, a treadmill can be a great fitness-machine to use in order to achieve an effective workout but try to use it carefully since it can cause serious injuries incase its used improperly.