Why it is important to only use a treadmill for what it is made for
It is very important that you only use a treadmill for what it is made for. Treadmills and other pieces of home exercise equipment have been the cause of rising injuries for both adults and children. Treadmills are especially dangerous for children, who do not know how to use them properly and who tend to play with them. Also, adults who don't know the correct posture or exercises to perform on a treadmill can be prone to injuries as well.
Dr. Benjamin Chang is a pediatric plastic surgeon in Philadelphia. According to Dr. Chang, the number of severe injuries that happen to children has been steadily increasing over the last few years, with the average of yearly accidents somewhere around 8,700 child injuries. He says, "Usually the child gets caught in the back end of the treadmill where the belt goes around the roller. So this belt acts like a sander, taking off the top layer of skin. Because the hand is caught, the child can't pull it out right away." From this, you can see how dangerous treadmills can be-if they are not used properly, then you or a child can be pulled underneath the belt, which is really just like sandpaper. The majority of injuries occur to the hands and/or the fingers, which are injured by the belt. These are not just basic rug burn type injuries. The typical injury that results from a hand or fingers being caught in a treadmill belt is third degree burns that require extensive skin grafting and other plastic surgery procedures.
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So how can you prevent these terrible injuries to yourself and to children? The first key is to keep children separate from your treadmill. If small children absolutely have to be in the room with you while you are exercising, then you should either put the child or children in a play pen or you should have somebody else in the room who can keep a very, very close eye on the children.
After you have finished using your treadmill, make sure that you unplug the treadmill. Then you need to wrap up the treadmill cord and store it so that it cannot be easily unraveled and cause a possible choking danger. Also make sure that you put a safety plug in the outlet after you unplug the treadmill so that there is no possibility that anyone can accidentally stick something in the outlet and become seriously injured through electrocution. If possible, lock the door to the room where your treadmill is kept (lock it from the outside).
So, obviously treadmills pose a pretty serious danger to children in terms of rather horrible injuries. However, adults who are working out on the treadmill can also be hurt rather severely through improper use of the treadmill. This is why it is important to only use a treadmill for what it is made for and to use it properly at all times.
Any fooling around on a treadmill can result in falling and becoming caught in the belt. This belt will cause third degree burns, and can result in even more serious injury, such as permanent disability. Improper use of a treadmill can also cause serious damage to your back, to your knees, to your hips, and to your ankles. Make sure that your posture is correct at all times, and don't hang onto the hand rails.
As always, before you begin any exercise program, you need to talk to your doctor to make sure that you know what your targets should be. Also talk to your doctor about pairing your exercise program with healthy eating.
