Original Treadmill Safety Video

This treadmill safety video goes back a ways. I mentioned this video in my book, Rucking Simple Treadmill Training Guide. This is a great introductory look at the topic of treadmill safety. This video looks at getting on and off of a treadmill while the belt is moving. Standing safely on the provided non-slip surface of the treadmill deck is your goal. This allows you the freedom to adjust the controls while reducing the risk of a fall off the back of the treadmill.

If you remember, some time ago, a notable government official received a noticeable wound and claimed it was from a treadmill accident. That led me to create this brief video. In the intervening years I’ve modified my sequence here just slightly, but this is still a good video to demonstrate a possibly more safety-conscious approach to mounting and dismounting the treadmill.

Note that in this video I show a technique with the treadmill set at running and walking speeds both. The running speed isn’t that important for our goals with the Rucking Simple programs, so watch if you like, but don’t focus to much on the running demonstration.

In a nutshell, you mount the treadmill while the belt is still. You stand on either side of the belt on the non-slip sticky gritty section meant to be stood upon. You make sure your shoes aren’t touching the belt at all. Then use your controls to bring the belt up to your intended target speed. Be sure to place your hands securely on the rails provided for stability. Wait for the belt to come up to speed. While keeping hold of the rails, step carefully onto the moving belt with your dominant, or intelligent, or perceptive foot. You’ll intuitively know which one that is. Step into a walking motion and bring your other foot out to land in place ahead of your now moving foot and just start walking naturally. When you feel safe and know that you won’t fall off the back of the treadmill, and are at the correct speed, let go of the rails. Be ready to snag them again if you at all unstable.

Why am I so focused on being so careful?

I’ve seen plenty of people fall off the treadmill. I’ve seen them go off the back. I’ve seen them go under the rails. I’ve seen them go under the console. I’ve seen them tip over the rails. I’ve been using a treadmill in commercial facilities and at home for nearly forty years. Believe me, if you just follow these simple steps, stay alert, and be ready to grab onto the rails again while jumping your feet off the belt and out to the sides securely on the deck, you’ll be taking great strides in providing for your own safety on the treadmill.


At the time I was creating this video I was fine tuning the Hikercize Program, which I developed based on my best-selling book Summit Success: Training for Hiking, Mountaineering, and Peak Bagging. This is one of the most complete guides to incline training with a weighted backpack, including stairmasters, stairs, box stepping, and treadmills of inclines from 15 to 40% inclination.