Electric shocks from my treadmill?
 

Hello there,

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced electric shocks from their treadmill? I'm lucky enough to have one in my house, so I can use it regularly and not have an excuse - it's right there, why not use it. The only frustrating part is that I experience electric shocks whilst in the jogging parts of my workout.
I guess this is because of friction created by something and the fact I don't use the hand bars whilst jogging - so whenever I make contact with any part of the machine with my hands or arms or even if my abs touch the front of it, I get a short sharp shock - not exactly something conducive to a good workout!

Anyone know a way to prevent this? Or have experienced similar? It's really frustrating.

Arrrrrrghh. Yes.

This happens to me all the time. Plus, if I've got my iPod resting on the machine's control panel, I get zaps that run up to my ears and gie me a little jolt.

Im pretty sure its caused by the static electricity generated by feet rubbing on the strip - maybe there's some kind of shoe material that prevents this happening?

Me too. I try to keep my hands off the bars but sometimes they accidentally touch and then it's ZING!! very annoying.

I have this same problem with the machines at the gym sometimes. I haven't figured out a solution except to try not to touch the machine accidentally. Which is hard, because I have a tendency to want to run as close to the front panel as possible. I guess I'm unconsciously afraid I'll fall of the back, but there's actually plenty of room for me to move back a bit. I'm so far forward that sometimes my feet even kick the front of it and almost cause me to trip. It's a wonder I don't break my neck.

I guess one thing that works that is that I started bringing a water bottle and setting that in one of the little holders on the front panel. The water bottle sticks up above the front rail, so now I hit the water bottle with my hand instead of the treadmill. The bottle is plastic, so it doesn't carry a charge. So I don't get a shock anymore, but now I'm scraping up my hand on the water bottle. If it's not one thing, it's another. :dizzy:

But that makes me think that maybe a solution would be to a towel or something over the rail or wherever you have a tendency to bump the TM. Something rubber would be ideal, but I can't think of anything rubber offhand.

BlueToBlue, I'm like you - I always stay close to the front of the machine, I think it's something to do with the little safety clip and the fact I feel weird toward the middle or back of the machine.

I am now thinking the electric shocks are something I'm going to have to deal with - I sort of plan when I'll have one now hahah - jog for a minute and then tap the back of my hand on the front of the machine - the jolt is less of a shock on the back of the hand rather than through the fingertips.

It is pretty annoying though, I wish it could be prevented - I wondered whether it was my stupid thighs rubbing together causing all that friction.

Yup, I get a little zap when I reach for the rails after I'm done. I just figure it's static electricity from the belt, and nothing to be concerned about. :)

Just thought I'd give a little update - I've figured out something that stops the shock - or at least it did for me yesterday.

Listening to my iPod for an hour on the treadmill and I had no shocks - I'm thinking it's maybe because the iPod sits in the little holder on the front bar and I'm connected to the iPod by the headphones - so I'm connected to the bar in some way the whole time?

I could be completely wrong, but I was happy enough to not get any shocks - was also the longest I've ever been on the treadmill and it felt great!