Treadmills

Find the Best Treadmill for your Commercial or Home Gym

Ready to boost your cardio skills? Treadmills are an industry go-to for good reason. Effective, space efficient, and available in a range of price points and features, you can source the right treadmill for your goals, whether you’re an at-home fitness fanatic or fitting out a new gym.

Read on below to learn more about the safe use of treadmills regardless of your location and the most commonly asked questions we discuss with customers both in-store and online every day.

The Do’s of Safe Treadmill Use

Even if you’re an industry expert, you’ll always get the best use out of any piece of gym equipment when you know how to use it safely and effectively. Here are the Southside Fitness team’s top recommendations for safe treadmill use, whether you’re in the gym or at home.

1. Incline: The incline setting on a treadmill will change the diagonal tilt of your walking track and can be just as (if not more) effective for a great workout as running at full tilt. Always remember to turn a treadmill flat (incline level 0) to ensure safe use and minimise the risk of injury. If you’re interested in increasing the incline, we recommend doing so at a slow walking speed (Running is safest when the walking track is flat!).
2. Injury Rehabilitation: Whether you’re recovering from an injury or new to exercising, you can get a fantastic workout walking at a slower setting and a slight incline instead of running beyond your means. Easier on the lower limbs than running and a safe way to get used to the constant movement of the walking pad, our in-house team can chat with you about the safest way to ease into treadmill use before taking a new machine home.
3. Safety Strap: Whether you’re running, walking, on an incline, or a running expert, the safety strap is included on every treadmill for good reason. Designed to be gently connected to the exerciser by clip or strap, the Safety Strap is an emergency signal between the machine and the runner in case of an emergency or fall. Why? Whether you’re in the gym or at home, accidents happen. The Safety Strap tells the treadmill when there has been an incident or the runner is no longer connected with the machine, so it can turn off and minimise the risk of further harm.

Once you’ve learned the safety basics, you can start looking through the various brands, styles, and features that will best suit your fitness goals. Unsure where to begin? Read on below to check out some of the most commonly asked questions we receive about treadmills every day and our go-to advice.