How much clearance space should treadmills have?

Treadmills are one of the most sought-after fitness equipment pieces, for both the home and commercial gyms. Despite this, there is still a questions and uncertainties when it comes to clearance space around the treadmill. But worry no more. We have the answer right here to ensure that you set up your treadmill safely.

CLEARANCE SPACE

There needs to be clearance space all around the treadmill, for safety. On the sides and front there needs to be at a least ½ metre (2 feet) gap and 2 metres (6 feet) of clear space behind each treadmill.

European & British Standards (CEN Standards) - The requirements of the treadmill standard BS EN 957 - 6, requires a clear space of 2 metres behind treadmills for safety.
The British Standards Institution (BSI), in section 6, published the standard of safety for gym equipment, including the order that gym owners must ensure there is a clear space of 2 metres behind all treadmills.

WHY DO YOU NEED CLEAR SPACE?

The space at the front allows for ventilation so the treadmill doesn’t overheat and has proper airflow. The space at the sides allows for you to hop or roll off the treadmill quickly if you are in need. And the back gives you room to land on if you fall off a treadmill and the belt shoots you off.

The back clearance space is most important, though you should still follow the other guidelines. Too many people fall of treadmills, even if they swear they never will. They might be going too fast, or trip, or lose coordination – the back space will give them a place to fall off safety. If there isn’t enough room they might slam into the object/wall that is behind them, possibly causing further injury. Moreover, if there isn’t enough space, the user might be trapped between the treadmill and object/wall, if the belt is still moving then this can rub off their skin. Always have enough clearance space, you never know when you might need it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

The first thing you need to think about is whether or not the treadmill will fit into the room you want. For commercial gyms this shouldn’t be a problem at all, but for home gyms this is important. Sometimes, people forget to measure things accurately and they rely on memory and estimation. This is a problem as they might see something online in a spacious room or see something in the gym, but these roomy rooms give the illusion that the equipment pieces are smaller than they actually are. Furthermore, the models you buy might also have different dimensions, some treadmills are larger than others; one size does not fit all. Remember to have enough room for the treadmill itself plus extra clearance space.

If you decide you would like a fold-up treadmill, you still need to have the same amount of space as a non-fold-up treadmill. Clearance is not affected by this extra function, as it is needed when you are using the treadmill.

ABOUT US

We are a retailer of strength and conditioning products, and we also write useful blogs to help and guide you, so you can train in confidence.

Find out more.

VIEW ALL BLOGS