Treadmills --- why do people hold on to the rails?

LinDiSm26262

When I used to use the treadmill I had to hold on because the motion made me feel dizzy because of an inner ear problem and for safety reasons I held on. Now, I walk outside and enjoy the world instead of being stuck in a room on a machine.

jofjltncb6

Because safety first. You can never be too careful!

taso42

You're really good at walking! I bet you're the best walker in your whole gym!

Harlequin16

I hold on when i need to for my balance

KevDaniel

I notice regular looking people (not old or overweight people) holding on to the rails while walking on the treadmill. Why do they do that? Doesn't even look like they're walking fast either.

What's the the point of walking if you need a rail to hold on to? There's no rails in the real world.

The fastest I can walk on a treadmill, before I have to start running, is 4.4 mph. I don't need to hold on to anything either.

Maybe they have poor balance, Maybe they have an injury, maybe they had a rough night, maybe they have different goals for themselves, maybe they just enjoy it. Everyone is different.

tryclyn

I trip over the painted stripes on the gym floor.

MyChocolateDiet

I notice regular looking people (not old or overweight people) holding on to the rails while walking on the treadmill. Why do they do that? Doesn't even look like they're walking fast either.

What's the the point of walking if you need a rail to hold on to? There's no rails in the real world.

The fastest I can walk on a treadmill, before I have to start running, is 4.4 mph. I don't need to hold on to anything either.

thanks for making me feel like crap. i'm probably one of those "regular looking people" you refer to maybe you actually saw me? just FYI in my case I had a debilitating injury that lasted for years and meant I could not walk for two of those had to crawl to the bathroom. finally had surgery to cure it regained my mobility first confidence second, and so I fear losing balance/ getting too carried away with strides/injury. well i thought I regained my confidence until reading your post...thanks a lot Gym Judger. Hope you feel better venting!

p.s. I used to be a bad mama jamma too before and could do stuff like thisV



COULD YOU ever do stuff like that, cause if not then "what is the point?" see what I did there. Piece of twit.

bigjretrac

Guess what OP, there are no treadmills in the real world (save for airports). Why are you walking on a treadmill when you could be walking outside? Whats the purpose of walking when you could be running? Why are you judging other's workouts when you should only be focused on your own?

^^^ What he said

arsan

When I tend to hold the handles its because I tend to briefly hold myself up to take some weight off my feet so i can catch a breather without totally stopping.

monty619

cuz theyre retarded and they think they are burning more cals cuz the treadmil says so.. if u have to hold on all the time u should reduce the incline -.-. taking a rest to change a song on an ipod is dif.. but some ppl hang on for dear life on max incline it looks ridiculous

leopardjunkie

I personally like the extra germs I am all like the longer I hold the rails the more germs I can get YEAH ILLNESS!!!

Ok I just really am like a camel in skates its not pretty, but the treadmill and EFX are the only machines I like. so I use them the safest way possible for my lack of balance. Here I thought people were just looking at my butt, now I have to be like are they judging my work out too!! geesh!!

Lift_hard_eat_big

I notice regular looking people (not old or overweight people) holding on to the rails while walking on the treadmill. Why do they do that? Doesn't even look like they're walking fast either.

What's the the point of walking if you need a rail to hold on to? There's no rails in the real world.

The fastest I can walk on a treadmill, before I have to start running, is 4.4 mph. I don't need to hold on to anything either.

Why do people hold onto the rails when walking up stairs, or traveling up the escalator?

ryry_

Mind your own business

Joreanasaurous

I notice regular looking people (not old or overweight people) holding on to the rails while walking on the treadmill. Why do they do that? Doesn't even look like they're walking fast either.

What's the the point of walking if you need a rail to hold on to? There's no rails in the real world.

The fastest I can walk on a treadmill, before I have to start running, is 4.4 mph. I don't need to hold on to anything either.

My, aren't you a judgey special snow flake.


I do that all the time. Slow crawl with my hands on the rails. I do it after a really brutal workout session so I can unwind and cool down.

So glad there are treadmill police out there who worry about crap like this.

I_love_frogs

I notice regular looking people (not old or overweight people) holding on to the rails while walking on the treadmill. Why do they do that? Doesn't even look like they're walking fast either.

What's the the point of walking if you need a rail to hold on to? There's no rails in the real world.

The fastest I can walk on a treadmill, before I have to start running, is 4.4 mph. I don't need to hold on to anything either.

Well good for you. I'm so glad that everything in your world goes perfect and that you don't need to do anything like that. Must be nice to have balance and no knee or joint issues, or even vertigo.

Honestly what business is it of yours whether or not people hold on to the rails? Not a bit, tbh.

Get over yourself already and pay attention to your own life and leave others to do what they want to do with their workout time. As long as it doesn't impact you you should be just fine.

neandermagnon

nobody on a treadmill has any right to judge anyone for anything. You're walking and not going anywhere, ffs!

I agree, it's nothing but a human version of a hamster wheel

I walk on my treadmill, and I even call it a hamster wheel (climate is too hot and humid where I live to walk very fast outdoors in the summer, and my treadmill comes with air conditioning) and sometimes I hold on to the rails, because I want to and I can't see any logical reason not to if I want to. Other times I don't hold the rails, because I don't want to, and I don't see any logical reason to hold them if I don't want to.

Really, it isn't a big deal.... and as someone mentioned already, some of them have heart rate sensors on the handles, and if you want to monitor your heart rate, you have to hold the rails.

Additionally, some people may not have such good balance as others, you don't know by looking at someone if they have any medical issues that might affect balance. This can affect people of all ages, and many disabilities are invisible. If you veer slightly to one side in real life, you still have ground to walk on. But if you veer sideways on a treadmill, you fall off and hurt yourself. I'd imagine that anyone who has a medical issue or invisible disability that affects balance, would be well advised to hold onto the hand rails on the treadmill.

RunningMannn

I bought a treadmill that goes up to a 40% incline...I hold onto the rails all the time..Anything over 15% I pretty much hold on..One day last week my average heart rate was 141 in the last 20 minutes of an hour workout. That was walking at a 22-28% incline at 3.2 - 3.6 mph holding onto the rails..So you can get a great workout even when you hold onto the rails. I don't think I could jog 20 minutes at no incline and keep my heart rate at 141 for 20 minutes..So whether you hold onto the rails or not..If your heart rate is at a high level..Your getting a great workout..

Cait_Sidhe

OP: Why on earth do you care so much about what other people are doing on their treadmills?

pinkraynedropjacki

There are others at the gym? I'm usually sweating my own *kitten* off so much I can't see anything.

SugarBoomBoom

OP. You should not judge what others are doing. Some people might be recovering from an injury, or may have balance, muscle or joint problems. As long as you are able to do your workout the way you want to - why worry about what others are doing? Live and let live - everyone has to start somewhere.

I have just come back from a very short run the park after breaking a big fear of mine - running outside at my snails pace for five minutes. I am trying my best. I would hate to think people were judging me negatively.

ekalexm

I've just purchased a treadmill. I have two young children, and my wife works during the evenings so it fits my lifestyle as going out for a walk or jog obviously isn't an option most nights. As was said above, everyone should work out in the way that suits them.

Cr01502

nobody on a treadmill has any right to judge anyone for anything. You're walking and not going anywhere, ffs!

I love you.

There I said it.

bluefish49

I HOLD ON TO THE RAILS! OMG!!!!! Ya know, when I first hopped on a treadmill years ago, I did 15 minutes at a 2.0 pace and it kicked my *kitten*. I was a big boy, and could feel the belt slip if I exerted too much force forward while the belt was trying to move in the opposite direction. I don't need to be blowing out my knee.

Today, I've lost two pounds (don't know where they went), and the other 134 of them are piled up on the floor behind the treadmill.

Ive been doing 5K events on the street. No rails, but little chance of the belt slipping either. My 5K on the pavement is about 4 minutes slower than one on the treadmill. Many times I am dead last in those events. But I'm still running circles around everyone sitting on the couch. And I keep looking at that big pile of pounds that are on the floor behind the treadmill.

Positive RESULTS!

BTW, why do you hate SUVs ?????

hendongirl

Because. This:

Yes. This!

bacamacho

Treadmills are awesome training tools when you can't get outdoors. I did a lot of my half and full marathon training on one. When your only training time is late at night when the crazies are out, treadmills will do.

As for holding the rails, I've had friends tell me that they are afraid they're gonna fall off, or they don't know what to do with their arms. Some may have issues with vertigo, like my cousin.

BamsieEkhaya

errr because I want to/can do/ have the god given right to hold onto rails whether its up/down the stairs or on a piece of equipment built with rails to hold on to...suck on it if you don't like it

(actually I only do so to check my heart rate every so often!)

TLTucker80

I'm really overweight and I don't know if that is the reason or not but I have to hold the rails. well not really hold them I have to at least touch them because I have tried not to and I just can't walk on the treadmill with out touching the rails. I haven't been doing the treadmill long so maybe I might get to the point where I can do it with out the at least touching the rails. But that doesn't stop me from walking fast I walk at 4.0

K_Serz

You're right!! I never realized what a total loser I am!!!

Forget it! I quit. There's really no point in trying to exercise anymore, or lose weight, or live for that matter.

I seriously need to die. Thanks for letting me know...unless, you have further opinion of what I should do and how I should accomplish the rest of my life.

Make sure you go out holding the rails.

RGv2

This many people fell for a fishing/troll thread.

wow.

dixiewhiskey

:laugh: :laugh: Here we go.