Running on a treadmill have its great deal of benefits such as health, protection from harmful sun exposure as well as prevention from unsafe running condition. Despite its benefits, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in the United States, it was found that most likely cause of gym injury occurs when using running machine or treadmill. It counts 24,400 treadmill injuries as well as three treadmill deaths every single year.
Although it is tempting to increase the incline or pace setting to you desired levels and keep on running, safety should be your number one priority. Proper know-how on safe usage of treadmill is necessary to prevent injuries caused by running on this machine. Without it, the user of this gym equipment is prone to several related injuries such as trapped fingers, concussion, bruising, sprains and broken bones. Thus, it is important to run properly on the treadmill to get most out of your treadmill run.
To prevent treadmill injuries, we will take you back to basics with some expert advice on how to use a treadmill, safely.
- Check your shoe laces.
This is a simple, basic rule that most people neglect to do. Before you get on the treadmill, check your shoe laces. See to it that they are properly tied to avert injuries.
- Turn it off.
Before you get started, ensure that the treadmill is turned off. Inspect and double check the machine before stepping on it.
- Check the settings.
The incline and the speed settings of your treadmill should be at zero as some treadmills have preset buttons which personal trainers use for clients and often leave on. Once you confirm that the machine is set at zero, choose an adequate pace that is not too fast.
- Look ahead.
When you are running on the treadmill, look straight ahead. Avoid looking at other distracting objects seen inside the gym. Injuries are likely to happen when people who run at the treadmill set their eyes on other objects like TV screen.
- Multitasking is a no-no.
The most you can do to enjoy your run on the treadmill is to listen to the music. Remember that this machine is made for exercising and running. Multitasking while on the treadmill makes you at risk for different injuries. If you are prone to multitask, never use a treadmill. Instead, walk outside to get more out of your workout time.
- Pace yourself.
Running outside and running on a machine is very different. In doing ordinary run, when you feel tired, you can just stop running. When you are running on treadmill, if you need to stop, you have to find the focus and energy to press the buttons and slow down at the same speed as the conveyor belt. So, it is better to set your pace.
- Watch your screen.
Set your eyes on your dashboard. When you look at a screen away from the treadmill, it loses your focus, momentum and perspective, leading you to run at the back of the conveyor belt or bumping yourself at the very top of it.
- Avoid channel surf.
Set your mp3 or ipod tunes to the playlist you want to listen to when you run on the treadmill to avert you from switching songs. Doing channel surf loses your focus and balance while running on the treadmill as it causes more bounce and movement that running outside. It also makes you at risk of falling over.
- The simple, the better.
Don’t do these exercises on the treadmill – skipping, hopping, running sideways or backwards. Doing them makes you at risk for injuries. They are high risk, low return form of workout which is better be performed out of the treadmill.
- Safety first.
Use the safety key found in treadmill. They are designed to be clipped on to your clothing. If it becomes pulled away from the dashboard, it automatically switches off.
