My hands & the treadmill!
 

My choice of exercise since I started losing weight has been walking... mainly the treadmill...

While I use bike gloves to hold onto the railings while I walk a fast pace, and put lotion on my hands, I notice I'm developing small hard patches of skin on my palms as a result of holding onto the treadmill's railings (BTW-- one of the reasons I hold onto the treadmill is my sense of balance sometimes goes off a little bit, and the treadmill helps keep me steady).

Any suggestions how to get rid of the hard skin (other than quit using the treadmill)?

Hmmm - I also use a treadmill daily (it is the BEST) and at first I had the rough patches AND blisters - I hold on too because of balance issues. I don't really know what to suggest - I have no issues now but it took a little while. Maybe the gloves and the lotion are causing friction ?????

Try something like the Curves gloves you can buy from a Curves location. Not sure if you have to be a member. But maybe you can find them on Ebay. They are more padded in the area where you grip...moreso than bike gloves. Cause I used bike gloves when I first started Curves and also got those blisters until I got a pair of Curves gloves.

However, I'd suggest working on letting go. I did the same when I first started with a treadmill. Had another gal suggest letting go, said you work your waist more if you swing your arms. But I was afraid of balance too...I'm extremely UNcoordinated. But I tried it a bit at a time. Keeping my hands poised over the bars and touching them to steady myself. Eventually, I touched them less and less, and soon moved my hands farther away from them until I no longer needed them at all.

I agree about letting go of the bars. When I started the treadmill I HAD to hold on, I wasn't strong enough to let go and I'd even be hanging my entire upper body over the top of the treadmill frequently. Yes, I was horribly out of shape. I thought it was b/c my balance was horrible and I'd just never be able to use the treadmill without holding on.

Eventually I realized it was lack of overall strength that was the cause of my balance problem and that if I slowed the pace down and didn't walk so fast I could do it without holding on....BUT you work just as hard b/c it's more challenging overall to have to balance yourself and support more of your upper body weight. It's frustrating at first to see the speed actually go lower when you work so hard to be improving but you will get stronger and work your body harder if you don't hold on. Plus, it's easier on your hands. Go slower and work at increasing the amount of time you don't hold on. Trust me when you don't hold on, you'll be working just as hard if not harder even at the slower speeds than you were at the faster speeds and holding on.

As for the hard patches, maybe try powder in the gloves instead of lotion to reduce friction? Can you cover your hands in a good moisturizer before bed and wear some cotton gloves?

I get pretty good callouses (which I am assuming is what your hard patches are) from lifting weights 'cause I do not use gloves. It was recommended to me to use an emery board to file them down & it really works. Just don't overdue it all at once or it can be uncomfortable.

You could try weightlifting gloves - they are much like the above description of Curves gloves.