News

Treadmills and exercise balls don’t mix

A member institution points out the potential for hazard when exercise balls get too close to a running treadmill

Ed Morford, Assistant Director for Risk Management and Special Projects at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Division of Campus Recreation, has reported a potential hazard involving treadmills and exercise or stability balls. At UIUC’s new rec facility, they have experienced two instances of balls rolling to the back of a treadmill while in use and getting pulled under by the moving belt. The exercise balls do not break, but instead raise the treadmill up in a potentially dangerous way.

Manufacturers of treadmills have heard about this happening before and have suggestions on how to minimize the risk. “The treadmills themselves are designed to be safe and effective,” said Eric Weber, National Sales Manager for Woodway, a well-known maker of treadmills and a NIRSA Associate Member. “But you do need to keep the area clear of smaller exercise items and debris. Part of that is an educational process with the users of the equipment, but the easiest thing to do is to make sure any type of ball is kept in a separate area.”

Jim Zahniser, Public Relations Manager for Precor, another Associate Member that manufactures treadmills and other fitness equipment, agrees. “While treadmills probably do require the greatest caution in terms of equipment being pulled into the moving mechanism, the fact is that loose equipment such as balls or bands can create potentially unsafe conditions with just about any piece of cardio equipment. A good rule of thumb is ‘No balls on the cardio floor,’” he said.

If this is impossible, Ed Morford has found a solution that seems to be working well. He placed heavy, plastic, parking lot-type barriers at the backs of the treadmills to keep balls or other items from being pulled under. He welcomes other members to contact him for more details.