Why You Shouldn't Hold Onto Treadmill Handrails While Running

We all know that regular exercise offers countless health benefits, such as improving heart health, lowering blood sugar levels, and preventing diseases. Moreover, effective exercise can help you burn a lot of calories, making your body more symmetrical and attractive, while also strengthening your muscles. Using high-quality fitness equipment can be more effective than just exercising on your own. Among the excellent home fitness equipment available, treadmills are a popular choice. They provide effective and efficient workouts for people of all fitness levels without needing to go outdoors. Treadmills allow you to run at home easily, achieving better health and fitness results.

If you've ever used a treadmill, you might have noticed that holding onto the handrails can diminish the quality of your workout. This is especially true when the treadmill speed is high or when you feel tired. When we start to tire during a run, we instinctively grab the handrails for support. However, you shouldn't hold onto the treadmill handrails while running. Want to know why? Keep reading.

Why Do Treadmills Have Handrails?

Treadmill handrails serve several purposes, but none are directly related to fitness:

1. Safety Liability People can sometimes become careless during workouts. Accidents happen, and injuries can occur on the treadmill. This reduces the safety standard of the equipment. Treadmill manufacturers include handrails to reduce liability if users fail to exercise caution.

2. Support You need support when stepping onto the treadmill. The handrails provide initial stability until you find your rhythm and start running without holding on.

3. Console Handrails can house heart rate sensors, allowing the machine to monitor your heart rate. This is useful when you don't have chest or wrist straps.

4. Safety Assurance Sometimes, you might not feel your best but still want to work out. Handrails provide a sense of security, helping you maintain balance and avoid falls. If you feel out of breath or experience pain, you should hold onto the handrails and press the stop button for safety. Additionally, if you're recovering from an injury, you might need the handrails for support.

Why You Shouldn't Hold Onto Treadmill Handrails While Running

Handrails are an important safety feature, and most treadmills have them positioned conveniently for easy access. But why shouldn't you hold onto them all the time, especially when the workout gets tough? Here are the reasons:

1. Burning Fewer Calories Holding onto the handrails makes any exercise easier, reducing the workout's effectiveness. If you're power walking to lose weight, you'll burn more calories by freeing your arms than by holding onto the handrails. Even when on an incline, avoid holding the handrails to maximize calorie burn.

2. Bad Posture Consistently holding onto the handrails can lead to poor posture and injuries. It's unnatural for your arms to remain in a fixed position while walking or running. Your arms need to swing freely, mimicking natural outdoor exercise. The goal of treadmill workouts is to replicate the benefits of outdoor exercise, which is beneficial and convenient.

3. Reduced Incline Effectiveness It can be tempting to hold onto the handrails when running uphill on a treadmill. Uphill running is excellent for lower body workouts, but holding the handrails negates these benefits. Stick to your planned workout routine and let go of the handrails to fully benefit from the incline.

4. No Improvement in Balance Walking or running on a treadmill improves your balance, requiring practice and concentration to stay centered on the belt. This engages stabilizing muscles that enhance your balance in daily life. Holding onto the handrails diminishes these benefits.

Handrails have their purposes, but they are not meant to aid your exercise. Only use them if absolutely necessary. To make the most of your treadmill workouts and achieve the best results, avoid holding onto the handrails while running.