Treadmills can be an excellent addition for professionals and family houses, especially for individuals who cannot visit the gym daily.
However, you should take precautions while using such a large and powerful machine, especially if kids are in your house.
Thousands of adults and children reach the emergency room due to injuries related to treadmills. Some of them die every year because of such incidents.
Children are small, and so are their body parts, especially their fingers. So, their hands or fingers can easily get caught in the belt movement of a treadmill.
Possible dangers are skin removal, burns, amputations, fractures and similar injuries. Hence, it would help to be extra careful when you have kids and a treadmill.
How to Stay Safe With a Treadmill?
We recommend that you place the treadmill and all other fitness machines behind a locked door. Only choose an area wherein your children visit regularly. Never when the kids are in the same room, especially if they are less than 12 years of age.
A treadmill belt moves very fast, damaging someone’s fingers or hand. Such an unfortunate incident might happen when a child gets their fingers caught in the moving belt, especially where it meets the deck.
Be careful while working out; do not leave a moving tread belt unattended. We suggest you use a safety key to stop the treadmill when you step away. So, the machine will be safe for your kids even if you forget to stop it.
Why Should You Choose a Separate Room for Fitness Machines?
No danger of someone accidentally using your treadmill – it’s the primary reason we suggest you keep all workout equipment in a separate room.
Turn off the running machine and unplug its power cable even if the home gym is locked.
This way, you will be assured that the family members can only turn the treadmill on accidentally.
Children will not prefer to enter a room that generally remains locked. You can also train them not to access the area, especially when you are working out.
Do not allow any kids near the treadmill, especially if they are less than 12 years of age. You can allow them to use the running machine once they are over 12 years old, depending on their maturity.
Also Read: At What Age Can Child Use Treadmill?
How Can Treadmills Cause Injuries To Kids?
Treadmills are complex machines, and they are not recommended for kids. We suggest that you train your children to stay away from when you are working out. If you want to know the reasons, then check the given points.
Moving tread belt: If any of the kid’s fingers come in contact with a mowing treadmill, it can pull his or her hair, clothes, fingers or anything else. So, make sure no one is carelessly playing around when you are working out.
Running track: Kids might misunderstand a treadmill as their playing ground. One might stand on the tread belt and play with the buttons; the results are easy to imagine.
Power cable: Imagine a 3-year-old on the treadmill. All right, let’s not go that hard on the kid. Imagine the child with the treadmill’s power cord. What can you expect? So, remember that treadmills and kids are not made for each other.
Most treadmill accidents happen because children lose their balance on a moving tread belt and fall off.
Apart from that, a belt trap can harm their skin, muscles and bones. Some of the cases even require amputations and plastic surgery for recovery. Sometimes, the kids also suffered concussions, fractures and similar injuries.
Kids and Workout
Children are generally active during the day, so they get enough physical activities for proper growth. So, they don’t have to use a treadmill unless the child is overweight.
Allow your kids to walk on a treadmill once they take things seriously. Can they understand the dangers of a moving tread belt? Do they know their limits? Can they understand that a treadmill is not a joke? Consider all the points, and then allow your kids to use the running machine.
Non-motorized treadmills are best.
If you live in a small flat with a separate room for workout machines, try a non-motorized treadmill. These tools are designed to offer the same benefits but without a motor.
It will help if you propel a manual treadmill by walking, jogging or running. Some of these models are also suitable for kids above 12. For instance, BECCYYLY Walking Machine is one of the best treadmills for women and kids.
How to the baby-proof treadmill – Tips?
- Follow all the instructions mentioned by the treadmill manufacturer. Turn off a running tread belt. Plus, take care of the machine and spend some time on its servicing.
- Place your treadmill in such a way that you can see the doorway. So, you can see if one of your kids enters the home gym.
- There is nothing called a child-proof treadmill. So, place the safety key away from your treadmill, so no one starts it.
- Organize the power cable so that no kids can easily access it.
- Work out behind closed doors if there are kids in your house. If you are exercising in an open area, then you should stay alert. Ensure none of the young ones is approaching your treadmill while moving.
- Do not try to reach out of reach things while you are on the treadmill. Keep the required things nearby. For instance, place your cell phone in the front pocket of your treadmill so that you don’t have to reach out when someone calls. You can apply the same for a water bottle or remote.
- Do not hold your baby when you are using a treadmill.
Bottom line
As you can understand, child treadmill injury is expected if you are not careful. So, make some rules if you are a fitness enthusiast and have kids in the house.
A running machine and similar equipment are only for serious adults who want to live an active and healthy life. Not for an immature yet to understand the difference between toys and a treadmill.