Treadmills can be found in home gyms, fitness clubs and training facilities. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, treadmills are the leading cause of exercise-related injuries, with about 575 injuries reported in 2009. The injuries were a result of falling off or tripping while using the treadmill. Using a treadmill during your workout requires safety procedures and preventative techniques to avoid falling off and becoming injured.
Safety Features
Treadmills contain several safety features designed to prevent falling off or keeping you safe if you do fall off. You can use the emergency strap that clips to your clothing. If you fall off the treadmill, the strap engages the emergency shut-off to disengage the running belt. You can also manually use the emergency stop button located on the front display console of the treadmill. The emergency stop button or pause button slowly reduces the speed of the belt if you fall off or become uncomfortable while walking or running.
Prevention
You can apply several preventative tips to reduce your potential for falling off of a treadmill. Avoid any distractions that can cause you to become disorientated and lose concentration of the running belt. Fabio Comaan, exercise psychologist with the American Council on Exercises, suggests staying cognizant of your surroundings and the people around you. Gradually increase the speed according to your current fitness level and stop immediately if you feel dizzy. Seeing others run on the treadmills around you may motivate you to increase the speed, but stay within your own personal limitations.
Injuries
Injuries associated with falling off of a treadmill depend on the severity of the fall. Scratches or bruises may result from a simple fall; broken bones or amputated fingertips may occur if you get caught in the moving belt. Severe injuries may result in a hospital and emergency room visit. For example, Mark Aguirre, former NBA basketball player, was hospitalized after losing consciousness, collapsing and falling off of a treadmill.
Considerations
Consider talking with a personal trainer about using a treadmill and designing a workout program based on your individual fitness goals. A personal trainer can provide tips and techniques about how to safely and effectively use a treadmill while reducing your potential for falling off.
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