How To Use the Treadmill Safety Key

Treadmills and Gym Safety

A treadmill is by far one of the most commonly used pieces of equipment in the gym. Whether you enjoy going for a brisk walk, or getting in a long run, most people who step foot in the gym will likely touch a treadmill at some point in their life. Although it is an incredibly common most of gym equipment to use, most people are unfamiliar how to use one of the best safety features on the treadmill: a treadmill safety key. Treadmills may not seem dangerous, but realistically the machinery is actually incredibly dangerous if someone doesn’t know how to use it, feels like passing out, or has limited mobility and coordination. Because of this, knowing how to use the treadmill safety key can help offset some of the inherent danger when using the treadmill.

What’s The Purpose of the Treadmill Safety Key

The purpose of the treadmill safety key magnet is to turn off the treadmill if you get too close to the edge or end of the treadmill. If you think about it, most of the danger from the treadmill could come if it was going to fast for you to keep up, and it sent you off of the back. The treadmill safety key allows the treadmill to turn off before it gets to this point.

How To Use the Treadmill Safety Key

The treadmill safety key magnet is extremely easy to use. The safety key on a treadmill is usually red and in a clip fashion, connected to the middle part of the treadmill. To use the safety key simply:

Take the safety key magnet clip
Clip it firmly to your shirt around your waist or slightly higher.
Now, when the treadmill starts, and you get too close to the edge, the string attached to the safety key will pull and become taught. This disengages the treadmill when you get too far back.

Putting it in Practice

I would highly recommend testing this out at very low speed. Essentially, put yourself on the treadmill with the safety key magnet on. Then, turn on the treadmill at a very low speed, allowing you to test out the pulling of the key. Since it is a low speed, just in case the treadmill does not turn off, you will hopefully be safe in getting off quickly. This is recommended to do in case you don’t put on the safety key magnet clip very tighlty and it falls off. Mess around with placement and see what works well for you.