Treadmill Guides
Treadmill Exercise Tips
The best treadmills are those that provide you with
easy access to belt tracking. But even the best treadmills with the most
easily accessible belt tracking are also susceptible to stretch slightly
under initial use. That is why it is important that you adjust the tread
belt every so often to keep down stretching.
Most manufacturers include the Allen wrench in the package when you buy
a treadmill from them. Use that to tighten both belt adjustment screws
clockwise. If your manufacturer did not supply you with an Allen wrench,
use another of the right size.
A ¼ turn clockwise should tighten
tread belt if it has loosened from breaking in. The screws for belt
adjustment are usually located at the rear end of the treadmill. Some
belts do require looser running than others so don’t be surprised if
your tread belt is a little loose even when you haven’t used it yet.
Check the user’s guide before making adjustments just to make sure.
Moreover,
be sure to keep the belt running at a low speed of around 3 mph when
adjusting the belt tracking. This is the ideal speed when making any
adjustments with the screws.
The tracking adjustments may also be
used to properly align the belt of your treadmill. So, when adjusting
your belt tracking, be sure not to turn either side more than ¼ turn at
a time only. Belt tracking adjustments are almost always minor anyway,
so don’t overdo your adjustments.
Roller knocking occurs
with improper belt tracking. This should be avoided at all times. If you
hear a knocking noise when running your treadmill, that most often means
that you have a defective roller. However, there are instances where the
noise results from the belt placing too much force on the roller from
side to side.
Through proper tracking, you can actually reduce
the loan on the belt. Not only that, proper tracking also help guide the
belt and ensure that the front and rear rollers are parallel. You should
follow the manufacturer’s directions on belt tracking to keep from
misaligning or over-stretching the belt. Here is a word of caution: be
careful not to over-tighten the belt when adjusting alignment.