There’s basically one reason why you feel off balance after stepping off the treadmill, but there’s more than one solution to this benign problem.
First of all, when I was a personal trainer at a health club for several years, I worked with many treadmill users.
What I found was that in 100 percent of the cases in which a person reported feeling off balance or “dizzy” upon getting off the treadmill, that individual had been HOLDING ONTO the machine.
Before you assume that you have a medical problem that causes you to feel off balance after getting off a treadmill, I recommend you break the habit of holding on.
New to Treadmill Walking?
If you’re new to using this machine, the best time to break a bad habit is when it hasn’t yet become a habit. Do not hold on.
Start out slowly. Don’t feel you must jack the incline up to 15 percent, the speed at 4 mph, then grip the front bar and yank with each fake step. I see this all the time and it’s ridiculous and worthless.
Cause of Feeling off Balance after Walking on Treadmill
If you’re holding on, this deactivates your body’s balance mechanism. It’s like flipping off its switch. There is no need to balance if you’re holding on. It’s that simple.
So — you’re walking for, say, half an hour, even 10 minutes, all while your internal balance device is switched off (because you’re holding on).
You then step off the treadmill. Bam! Your body’s balance device is suddenly switched back on and must work immediately.
This causes that off balance feeling. It’s a sudden transition from total deactivation to total reactivation. It takes your body several moments to adjust.
But what if you haven’t been holding on yet still feel balance issues after you get off the treadmill? And what if this is the only time you feel this strange dizziness?
Quite simply, your body is not used to walking on a moving tread belt.
However, your body will quickly adjust to this.
But I’m betting that near 100 percent of people who feel dizzy or unsteady after walking on a treadmill were holding onto the machine.
Remove your hands for your next session.
Use a slow speed.
Avoid high inclines until your body acclimates.
I had senior citizens and obese beginners walking on the treadmill without holding on.
I even had a client with Meniere’s disease (which causes unsteadiness and dizziness) walking without holding on.
Walking on a treadmill without holding on will improve your body’s internal balancing device!
Model: Sharon Smith, 71 years young.
