Holding the handrails on treadmill?

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  • NerdyTXChick
    NerdyTXChick Posts: 155 Member
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    Just a glimpse of the moving belt makes me dizzy, the same thing happens when I ride an escalator. I don't usually use the treadmill because of this, but the times I have, I'm sure I was holding on with a death grip. Just for the record, I don't need a guard rail when walking down the street, it's only when the ground is moving that it bothers me.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Balance? Safety? Security?
  • rdianemu
    rdianemu Posts: 132 Member
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    Is that where the sensors for the heart rate monitor are? I've seen people keep their hands on when they are trying to stay within a particular HR zone.
    That's a possibility, but it doesn't explain the death grip. Same for those suggesting "balance." I'm afraid I will probably never understand treadmills. I'm planning on a run in the dark, in 7-degree-fahrenheit temps tomorrow.
    Thank you! You just made me realize my planned run at dawn in 28 degree temps is down right balmy. I guess I have been in H-town too long...I am starting to forget what REAL winter feels like:laugh:
  • BetterKimmer
    BetterKimmer Posts: 178 Member
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    Or my favorite; bending over, leaning upper body weight on the hand rails while going faster than they can handle on the stair machines or elliptical. Slow down till you can handle it that fast, people. Poor form gets you nowhere, but possibly injured. And damned sure won't burn the calories or build the strength that you should for all that effort.
  • MissSharon2013
    MissSharon2013 Posts: 536 Member
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    Thank God my treadmill is at home so I don't annoy you holding onto the rail. I also have balance issues. But even if I didn't, what difference does my workout make to you? If I hold on to the rails with a death grip, it only matters to me.
  • compgeek812
    compgeek812 Posts: 57 Member
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    Is that where the sensors for the heart rate monitor are? I've seen people keep their hands on when they are trying to stay within a particular HR zone.
    That's a possibility, but it doesn't explain the death grip. Same for those suggesting "balance." I'm afraid I will probably never understand treadmills. I'm planning on a run in the dark, in 7-degree-fahrenheit temps tomorrow.
    Those heart rate monitors take a lot of abuse and, at least in my gym, require constant pressure or you lose the heart rate and have to spend the next five minutes adjusting your grip so that it will find you. I wish they had a plug in port for a chest strap because, being 6'3, I have to adjust my walk in order to hold the bars. But again, that is only when I'm monitoring my heart rate or if I'm doing a pre-programmed set on the machine that requires it. I much prefer walking outside but finding people to walk with has proved difficult.
  • WrenTheCoffeeAddict
    WrenTheCoffeeAddict Posts: 148 Member
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    I'm unbalanced due to muscular problems in my right foot, giving me a limp. if I didn't hold on I'd walk diagonally and then most likely go flying off the back.
  • lagrossevache
    lagrossevache Posts: 2 Member
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    I hold on. But I've had a stroke at 24 and if my leg gives out I need to be holding on. My balance is also screwed because of it. I can think of plenty of reasons people would want to, or need to hold on. Not a big deal.
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
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    I saw a girl on high incline hold on to the railing hanging from her arms basically it looked retarded and serves no obvious purpose.
  • robinsondel
    robinsondel Posts: 47
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    Probably more reasons than you could count. It could be fear of falling, it could be ignorance, it could be laziness. It could be that the person either has a disability or that they are in so bad shape that the only way they can get ANY exercise at all, is to walk on the treadmill while holding on to the handles, or a myriad of other reasons.

    I rest my hands on the them when I walk. I don't grip them and I try to not put any weight on them. I do this for 2 reasons;

    1. at first, for some reason I felt unbalanced, kinda like how you walk on a beam, even if it's on an inch off the ground, you feel a bit off balanced.

    2.(the main reason) I'm too effin big. I don't have room to move my arms between my large body and the handles on the side. I don't want to walk with them up in the air or sticking straight out in front of me, so I let them prop on the side handles. Now, I'm fitting better now, than when I started, but if I swing my arms, they hit the side rails, if I try to hold them at my sides, I feel like I'm trying to suck in my gut to walk.
  • vustadumas
    vustadumas Posts: 1
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    It's possible that someone might have knee or joint problems, along with any number of things others have mentioned. I'm not sure why anyone would care what someone is doing while on the treadmill. Surely, they have their reason, so more power to them. At least they are on a treadmill...
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    When I first began using a treadmill I used to hold on. I felt I couldn't walk on an incline without holding on.

    Now 8 months later and I walk on the max incline 15.0 and 4.0kph without holding on for as long as I want without holding on. Just a confidence thing for me.
  • cboo1980
    cboo1980 Posts: 1
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    Wow! At the original post...

    There could be alsorts of reasons for holding on to the handrails. For example:

    I ended up with shin splints last year because I did too much, too hard, too fast. I am getting back to training but using the "dreadmill" to help me build the strength back up. If I feel one of the shins starting to 'pull' but don't want to stop then I will use the bars to take a little bit of the impact out of it. It still keeps the heart rate up but makes it easier on the shins....
  • pinktac0
    pinktac0 Posts: 43
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    GET A LIFE!
  • Fitburd
    Fitburd Posts: 92 Member
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    I hold on, I go at quite a fast walking pace and I'm very wobbly on my feet. Benefits of the treadmill are that it keeps a constant speed, and it's clear to me that's not how I walk. Dragging around a 300lb frame is a lot of effort, and the treadmill enables me to jog/walk for a long duration, whereas outside I cant manage as much. Hopefully one day I will, but until then it's still good cardio even if I hold on.

    Also I have a treadmill in the house because then I can walk even when the weather is bad - no excuses.

    Each to their own, I remember a picture on the net of a woman sitting on a chair on a treadmill and was like WTF? now I understand if that's all you can do it's better than nothing. I would love to run and am working on it, but if I fall that's not going to happen is it?
  • WonderWoman_5
    WonderWoman_5 Posts: 101 Member
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    I hold on because of balance issues, and i have weak ankles if i don't hold on and my ankles gives out FACEPLANT! Don't bash anyone for doing this you have your own way of working out and we have ours either way you do it we are still lapping the person holding on to the sofa arm.. To be honest when I read this post and the comments it made me feel like a failure becasue I held on to the rails :(((
  • Nascha333
    Nascha333 Posts: 56
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    I've done this... i'm kinda glad to hear i'm not alone.
    Until i bought one a few weeks ago, i'd never been on a treadmill and so walking on one felt weird and i couldn't really keep balance.It was odd having the floor move beneath me, unatural. The more i got into it, the more i depended on it and had the "death grip" and every time i would catch myself doing it i would ease up. The past two weeks i've not been holding them at all, it felt strange at first and i was a bit wobbly but i quickly gained balance and now after i warm up i let go. I find i get a better workout not holding onto them for dear life. lol
  • sydneybeachgirl
    sydneybeachgirl Posts: 209
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    oopss - I messed up this quote :) apologies
  • Rachelc1992
    Rachelc1992 Posts: 246 Member
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    Because when I'm doing a "fat burn" workout on the machine it keeps bleeping at me for my heart rate every 2 seconds!!!
  • amyfullbrook
    amyfullbrook Posts: 97 Member
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    I've seen this a lot, especially seen people leaning all their weight on the handrails which would obviously mean a less effective workout.
    I tend to rest my arms along the top of the treadmill where the controls are, other than that I use my arms as if I were running and not on a treadmill. There's nothing to rest your arms on when you're running!

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