Treadmill FAQ
Exercise must mimic reality.
The real world is full of uneven surfaces that you walk on. Your brain constantly sends signals down your spinal cord to help you navigate just where your body is in space so that you don’t lose balance and fall. Sensors in your feet and legs relay nerve impulses up to your brain, where they are interpreted: smooth asphalt, lumpy grass, a bed of rocks, puddles to step around, a winding staircase, etc.
Holding onto the treadmill interferes with these signals, thus downgrading your coordination and level of orthopedic fitness. If you hold on, even lightly, you take valuable work away from many muscles and joints, and the neuro-connections that enable you to move. In short, holding on outright de-activates your body’s balancing mechanism.
How will holding on make you more efficient in the actual world, where there’s nothing to hold onto?
Holding onto the treadmill creates an artificial walking environment. This in no way will make you a better walker in the actual world, where there are no handles at every turn.
Many people hold on for no other reason than because the rails and front bar are there. You can’t miss them. So you hold on. The manufacturer always constructs treadmills with rails for several reasons:
1) Some treadmill users use canes and walkers, and thus, have a medical need for holding on.
2) Even the most able-bodied athlete may need the rails to turn around and look at something; or to program in a slower speed while sprinting at super-fast speeds; or, who knows, stop a nosebleed.
3) What if someone falls off a machine that has no rails? We live in a sue-happy society. The rails are there for liability purposes.
Common questions about the treadmill
Q: There are numerous web sites that say you should hold on when first using the treadmill, to balance yourself, and then after you feel comfortable, then you can let go. Isn’t it okay to first hold on if you’re new to the treadmill?
A: The problem I have with this approach is the “after you feel comfortable” part. If a beginner holds on, chances are that person will never let go. The person never gives his body a chance to initially acclimate, right from the get-go. The issue is how fast you set the tread. A beginner who sets the speed at 3.5 mph, for example, will feel wobbly and is at high risk for grabbing the rails or front bar.
A smarter approach is to set the initial speed very slow, then get on and walk without touching the machine. I keep hearing this thing about balance. You won’t struggle with balance if you set the initial speed slow enough!
Q: The web sites, many by treadmill manufacturers, also suggest you hold on at first if you feel dizzy.
A: How can you teach your body to overcome dizziness if you hold on? Think about this for a moment. If you feel dizzy, SLOW THE SPEED and let go. Humble yourself and walk at only 2 mph if you must. Still feel dizzy? Go even slower.
Q: But don’t the treadmill companies know best?
A: The manufacturers have but one goal: Sell as many treadmills as possible. To do this, the copy on their web sites is written to appeal to as much of the masses as possible. Plus, they want to protect themselves from liability. So of course they recommend holding on.
There will always be some ding-dong who will topple off the machine and fall flat on his back. When something like this happens, you can bet that person:
• turned 180 degrees to greet someone (and I DO recommend holding on if you turn around to look at something or talk to someone)
• got too involved in reading a book while on the machine, and thus lost his footing
• got sidetracked by Britney Spears on TV half naked and lost his footing
• got into an argument over the cell phone while the tread was going fast
• or had some other oddball circumstance that simply does not apply to general treadmill use.