Before investing in a treadmill for yourself or your family gym, you might want to ask yourself if a treadmill is appropriate for your whole family, as believe it or not, a treadmill is not suitable for everyone.
Using a treadmill is fairly simple, but can be a danger for young children, as they have the vulnerability to fall off the machine and get hurt if they don’t know how to use the treadmill correctly. By rule, it is generally recommended that a child under the age of 11 should not be using a treadmill.
However, age is not the only factor to consider when figuring out who can and who cannot use your treadmill, you should also consider if you have any pregnant people using your treadmill or even animals!
So to help you out, we have put together a guide below which will tell you who a treadmill is suited to, why should go for a treadmill, who a treadmill is not suitable for and tips for using one safely (especially with younger children).
Let’s get into it!
First of all, before we explore who can and who cannot use a treadmill, let’s understand who should use a treadmill, to begin with so as you can know whether this exercise machine is right for you or not.
Ideally, you should use a treadmill to increase your fitness level, get more cardio in your day to day life or even lose weight.
We have listed out some further key points below that will determine if you should use a treadmill.
If your answer is no to any of these bullet points, then you might want to reconsider if you should be using a treadmill to exercise with.
So, if you meet all the requirements above and a treadmill is right for you then we put together a list of the advantages and disadvantages that come with you using a treadmill for your exercise.
If you are someone who suffers from joint issues such as arthritis then you should only use a treadmill with caution and use some tips and tricks to reduce the joint pain you get when working out.
You could also consider using a cross trainer or rowing machine as an alternative to a running machine as these are low-impact machines that will often be kinder to your joints.
We have listed out some tips for using a treadmill if you have bad joints below.
Now we know about who should use a treadmill, why you should and how to use one if you are someone who suffers from joint pain, let’s dig in further to who shouldn’t be using one and why, as well as who can and why.
Children at the age of 9 are not generally suitable to be using a treadmill at this age. All kinds of accidents can occur by touching the wrong part of the machine or by getting distracted, and at this age, children are less likely to fully understand the danger associated with using a treadmill, therefore can’t use it correctly, even with supervision.
If your 9-year-old is insisting that they want to use a treadmill, you could be looking into buying a kids one, which is essentially a treadmill without the motorised belt and will cause less chance of any injury happening.
By 10 we would recommend your child uses a treadmill if its the only form of exercise that they can get, this treadmill use should be on a low speed and supervised at all times, you should also make sure you educate your child on the correct way to use a treadmill, make sure that they wear the safety clip on the machine and never let them mess with the controls.
At 11 it is typically okay for your child to use a treadmill, but still only supervised and if they are educated about how to use one. Make sure they use all the correct safety features on the machine and only jog or run at speeds they are comfortable with to prevent any accidents from occurring.
By 12 your child is nearly a teenager and should be more than capable of using a treadmill as long as they know how it works and their limits, just ensure once again they are wearing the red safety clip on the treadmill, this clip will automatically shut down the machine if it senses the kid fall backwards to prevent injury from the motorised runway.
Yes, at 13 there should be no issues with your teenager using a treadmill, matter of fact, it is excellent for their health and can keep them in great shape too.
It is generally recommended for a teenager of this age to get 60 minutes of exercise a day, so walking for half an hour and running on the treadmill for the other 30 minutes can be a great way to get this recommended amount in daily.
Now we have listed out who should and who should not use a treadmill at the ages of 9-13, let’s move on to adults, and one common question about adults using a treadmill is, can a pregnant woman safely run on one?
The answer to this question is yes, there is no reason why a woman cannot run on a treadmill when pregnant if they were already running before. Walking is generally preferred by most people as it is a little less low impact on your bump, especially at the later stage of your pregnancy, but if it feels right for your body then there is no reason why you cannot run too!
We have listed out a few tips for using a treadmill during your pregnancy below.
As much as it is important to know how to use a treadmill safely when your pregnant, you should also know when to stop using one with the following signs below. Please always check with your doctor before using a treadmill during pregnancy.
So enough about humans, let’s not forget our most important family member, can the dog use our treadmill?
Well, yes but also no, a dog can use a treadmill, but only a dog treadmill. This is a doggy friendly alternative to a human treadmill with a longer track for large dogs, less sound to scare the dog and a slower walking pace which is perfect for smaller dogs.
Avoid letting your dog use your human treadmill as the track will be too short for larger dogs walking stride, it also does not provide enough width and the gaps around the track can be very dangerous for your dog.
We have summarised the issues with your dog using a human treadmill below, and the benefits of your dog using a dog treadmill.
If you’ve been looking into your treadmills, then it likely you might have come across the large debate of can a plane take off from a treadmill?
The answer to these questions is very mixed, but we are going to give you the answer of yes, it can (obviously with a huge treadmill).
This is because, if a treadmill is moving the plane back with its belt, and the aeroplanes wheels are moving forwards, the speed it is going back will be reduced, and with continuous movement of the plane’s wheels moving forwards, it should be able to generate enough thrust for the plane to take off in the air.
However, the wind behind would make this take off much more challenging.
Can elderly people use a treadmill?
Yes, it is a great way to keep incorporating exercise into their daily lifestyle, just make sure they avoid holding on to rails too much as this can cause posture problems and back pains.
What are the dangers of treadmills?
The most obvious danger of a treadmill is its motorised belt which can cause you to fall off and hurt your head or cause other injuries to your body, maybe even death, that’s why it is important to only go the speeds you can handle on a treadmill, supervise young kids and use the safety clip on a treadmill for an emergency stop.
How do I use a treadmill if I have heart issues?
First off, you should always check with your doctor if it’s okay for you to be using a treadmill with your condition. If you get the heads up then you will need to be continually monitoring your heart during your exercise and avoid over-exerting yourself.
Overall, who and who should not use a treadmill should be determined by age, health and any underlying issues which might cause someone to have a hard time using a treadmill. A child of 11 and above should be okay to use a treadmill with supervision under the age of 13, and pregnant woman can use a treadmill if they feel up to it too, however it is essential to listen to your body.
