Do you want to make health a priority and look for shortcuts? There are no shortcuts to getting healthy if you want it to be sustainable. Cardio is one of the critical elements that can help you shed weight faster. What better way to get your heart rate pumping than running on a treadmill? A treadmill is an easy-to-use machine that people with mild health conditions can use without worries. However, treadmills can be intimidating when using them for the first few times. Do you know how to use treadmill control panel?
There are a few different types of treadmills, and each brand has a slightly different control panel. Before you step on the treadmill, it is essential to understand how it works. If you get onto the treadmill without understanding the functions, you might injure yourself. Hence, the basic knowledge of controls can save you from days of pain. Don’t worry; we have got your back. This article will go through all the essential control panel functions and how to use them.
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How to use the treadmill’s control panel?
Well, there is no rocket science behind operating a treadmill. You can use a few simple and easy steps to get acquainted with the control panel. This section will discuss all you need to know about treadmill settings and their use. Let begin:
1. Study the control panel
One of the most straightforward ways to understand a control panel is to look at its buttons. Most treadmills have clear button names written under the button. You can quickly figure out the speed buttons as it has two options. A plus sign increases the speed, while the minus sign is for decreasing the speed. You also have direct speed buttons with numbers written over them. The direct speed buttons help increase or reduce the speed directly. You have a screen indicator for the number of calories you burn.
On the other hand, you also have an incline for a more effective workout. Before you get on the treadmill, study the control panel first. We are sure you will be able to figure out most of the functions independently.
2. Go through the manual
Manuals are essential, but most of us tend to ignore them. The booklets that come with the treadmill have every detail you need to know about the control panel. Take a few minutes out to read about the control panel and the function of each button. Sometimes, complicated and technical terms are used in it, which you may not understand in one go. Try to Google things you are having difficulty in understanding. Each treadmill company has an official website as well. Manuals on the website with pictures are also helpful in helping a user.
3. Prepare for emergency situations
Sometimes, you can zone out while being on the treadmill. By the time you come to your senses, it is too late, and you end up falling. This happens because you are unable to cope faster and take immediate action. Each treadmill comes with an emergency button that helps stop the treadmill instantly. Familiarize yourself with the emergency key and learn how to use it. As soon as you feel like you are losing control, pull the key out. Try the emergency key out before you use the treadmill on a faster speed setting.
4. Learn how to turn on/off a treadmill
If you need to learn how to use a treadmill fully, you first need to accustom yourself to the basics. The first step to using a treadmill without assistance is to turn it on and off. There is no rocket science behind turning a treadmill on. Most treadmills have a green button that also says start. If your treadmill does not have a green start button, you can call gym staff to ask about it. If you are buying a treadmill for personal use, ask the salesperson to explain its starting mechanism to you. Similar goes for turning the treadmill off. There is a yellow or a red button to stop the treadmill.
5. Set the height
Treadmill’s control panel is of a standard height that may not suit you. A tall person may find the control panel too low, while some may find it too high. Mostly, people do not even know that they can adjust the control panel’s height. You can press ‘Height up” to increase the control panel’s height and ‘Height down’ to decrease its height.
6. Test the treadmill
If you are a complete beginner when it comes to treadmills, you might want to take a test run before going all out. If you go to a gym, you must call an instructor to watch out for you while you try it for the first time. When testing the treadmill for the first time, set the speed to the lowest. Keep your hand near the emergency button at all times to avoid any potential accidents. You can slowly increase the speed if you feel comfortable. Try walking on the treadmill with an incline setting to see if you are satisfied.
7. Use presets
As a beginner, you can always take advantage of the preset options in a treadmill. If you do not know which speed works best for you, choose one of the preset options. Select the warm upsetting if you want to start with low impact. Your heart rate will spike a little bit, but not too much. If you do not want a high-intensity workout, keep the speed at the lowest setting. After you are done with your exercise routine, select the cool-down preset option to normalize your heartbeat.
How to adjust the key functions from the panel of a treadmill? [speed, incline, and distance]
After knowing how to use treadmill step by step, you must familiarize yourself with the essential functions. There are not many treadmill controls that you need to know.
Knowing a few settings is more than enough to get a good workout done. We took a good look at a few treadmills before explaining the primary control. Here are a few treadmill settings for beginners that you can try to shed a lot of sweat:
1. The start buttons
The start button is the most basic of all, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Most treadmills have a green color start button with a clear indication. If you are using a treadmill for the first time, plug it in and press the start button. Get off if you are too afraid to stand on the treadmill and start it. Stand on the side and click the start button to test how it works. On a brighter note, most treadmills have a ten-second count down before it starts. It gives you enough time to situate yourself on the treadmill and start moving.
2. The stop buttons
The stop button is also one of the buttons that you must know about before you get on the treadmill and start working out. In most treadmills, the stop button is red. The word ‘stop’ is written on the button. One of the good things about most treadmill stop buttons is that the speed decreases slowly before the belt stops. It gives you a few seconds to cool down before you get off the treadmill. Another way to immediately stop the treadmill is to use the emergency plug. However, the treadmill comes to a sudden halt when you use the emergency plug.
3. The speed button
Do you wonder how to use a treadmill to lose belly fat? If you use the treadmill at a slightly higher speed, you lose overall body weight. Do you know how to control the treadmill’s speed? If not, it is relatively simple, and you will figure it out by looking at the control panel. There is a ‘+’ and a ‘-’ sign on the treadmill. If you press the plus sign, the speed will increase and vice versa. Some treadmills have different speed options through which you can directly decrease or increase speed by five mph in one go.
4. The incline buttons
Most people have no idea what incline means and never use the setting. The incline makes the surface below the treadmill’s belt a little steep. The steepness makes it harder for a user to walk or run. When you have the incline settings on, you will feel more pressure in your calves. The resistance in movement works best to burn a high number of calories. You can keep incline 0% if you are a beginner or start y 5%. The higher the incline, the more calories you will burn.
5. The distance indicator
A treadmill does not have a distance button or setting but an indicator. When you look at the control panel, you will see the calories you are burning, distance, speed, incline, and heart rate. Apart from monitoring the calories you have burnt; you can also look at the covered distance. It is a valuable feature as it allows you to track your activity. The faster the speed, the quicker you will cover long distances. If you keep speed slow, it will take more time to cover a certain distance.
Control settings for beginners
| Speed | 2 mph-4 mph |
| Incline | 0%-5% |
| presets | warmup/cooldown |
[Bonus section] How to use additional settings on the control panel of a treadmill?
Apart from the basic treadmill settings, there are a few other options that people typically ignore. However, if you use those settings, you can get additional benefits. In this section, we will discuss those settings:
1. Heart rate monitoring
You can monitor your heart rate when exercising on the treadmill. It helps you keep your activity in check and monitors your pulse. Some treadmills also have a strap to let you know your accurate heart rate.
2. Cardio/HITT
Cardio is one of the preset options that most people use to burn a good number of calories. In this setting, the speed gets higher and lower to keep fluctuating the heart rate. It is also great if you want to perform a good HIIT workout. A user tends to burn more calories than expected in the cardio setting. You can use this setting once you get used to the treadmill and start running at six mph. We guarantee you will see great results even if you use a treadmill with the cardio setting for 20 minutes.
3. Fat blaster
If you invest in a good-quality treadmill, you will have a dozen presets and options. Fat blaster or fat-burning mode is one of the popular settings to see great results. In this setting, the speed keeps fluctuating to keep your heart rate going. The more the heart rate, the more calories you will burn. However, you must have good stamina to use this setting. The speed remains high for 40 to 45 seconds and goes down for 10 to 15 seconds. Hence, you end up burning more calories faster.
Conclusion
Treadmills can be intimidating for some people, primarily if they use them for the first time. However, you will figure out how to use the treadmill control panel in no time. There are a few basic settings that you need to focus on. You can get the hang of other settings as you go. Each person has different body goals, and there are unique presets through which you can achieve your goals. We hope that our guide helped you understand the control panel. It can take a few tries to familiarize yourself with the control panel fully.
John is a Certified Personal Trainer – Exercise Fitness Specialist who loves to share his experience to assist you reach your fitness goals.