How To Use Treadmill Control Panel(with Pictures) | Step by Step Beginner Guide

Treadmills are a great way to build up endurance and stamina for running and aerobic exercise. But sometimes it could be confusing for beginners like how to use treadmill control panel because they are not familiar with the console. Don’t worry — like everything, understanding treadmill control panel will help you make the treadmill operational for workout.

If you are new and wondering how to use treadmill in gym or using a treadmill at home it will be slightly difficult for you to understand how the control panel will work and for this purpose we will discuss all the details about treadmill console.

In this article we will learn how to start a treadmill with the help of basic treadmill functioning buttons(i.e: start, stop, speed & incline buttons), how to get benefit of preset programs as a beginner, important treadmill elements to stay safe from any injury.

Once you have read our guide, do give a read to treadmill manual once at least.

How to Use Treadmill Control Panel: Understand All Settings on Console Step by Step

Without any doubt, a treadmill is the best machine for every size, age, and gender.  But many of us do not know how to use a treadmill control panel when we start our jog on it.

Let’s get into nitty-gritty of treadmill console and decode the best workout for beginners step by step.

Get to Know your Treadmill

Most of the treadmill control panels have almost same display consoles with almost 15-20 buttons to make your treadmill running along with advanced features. 

But some features like preset programs, heart rate monitoring, HIIT programs, and safety keys, etc. can vary slightly based on the model and brand of your treadmill. 

Give Treadmill Manual A Read

Treadmill manuals contain extensive explanation of the model, the best details for understanding the advanced features of any treadmill. Reading the manual will help you understand precautionary measures and do some fixes on your own in case treadmill halts at some point.

I’ll tell you some basic reset methods but some latest motorized treadmills demand specific reset methods. For that you have to refer to the treadmill manual.

Following are the manuals of every model of famous treadmill brands:

1. Horizon Owner’s Manuals 
2. Life Fitness Manuals
3. Nordictrack Manuals
4. Proform Manuals
5. Sole Fitness Manuals
6. Bowflex Manuals

Basic Buttons for Making Treadmill Operational

Start, Stop, Speed and Incline buttons are very basic buttons to start your workout as a complete beginner. Learn how to use these basic treadmill buttons.

Start Button On Treadmill Control Panel

The start button is the most visible button on the control panel, just plug in the treadmill switch in extension cord and start the button that is usually green in colour and sometimes has an upward arrow sign on it.

But the button style varies with the design and the model of the treadmill.

It slowly starts the treadmill, so you need not worry about the speed because it just starts the walking belt without speeding it up with a mild motor whirring sound and display lights up.

Stop Button on Treadmill Console

The stop button is usually present next to the start button in the control panel of a treadmill and is red in colour.

If you are feeling any discomfort or there is problem with workout you can just push the stop button, and it slows down the speed of walking belt bringing the treadmill to halt. There is also an emergency stop key(i.e safety key) in treadmills on console for safety measures.

It’s not rocket science. We all know the simple uses of on/off buttons of gadgets and machines we use.

Speed Adjustment Buttons

Speed buttons are prominently two buttons on the control panel with a UP arrow sign which helps in increasing the speed of the walking belt and a DOWN arrow sign which decrease the speed of the treadmill.

Related: Why treadmill suddenly speeds up and slows down?

Everyone has a different body type, people usually shed more weight when they go with the high speed of walking or running on the treadmill.

But if you are having any knee or joint problems then I will suggest going at a slow speed.

Speed & Incline buttons can be either on the treadmill control panel or on the handrails.

Incline Button On The Control Panel (Auto & Manual Inclines)

Very few people use the incline button on the control panel. There would be (+) and (-) buttons on a control panel along with some picture of incline. If you press the (+) button it will higher the incline level and (-) works as the opposite, bringing it to normal.

The incline button makes the walking belt a little higher and steep, so it can make walking or running harder on the treadmill that’s in result help in shedding more weight and burning calories fast.

Another type of treadmill is incline treadmill that offers multiple intensity levels.

Do not start with a higher incline in the beginning otherwise, it will cause stiffness in the calves, and you may get hurt.

There are two types of inclines depending on the treadmill. If you possess some old treadmill, it may have manual incline. Modern treadmills come with auto one touch incline buttons.

1. Auto Incline: You can increase or decrease incline through treadmill control panel with the touch of few buttons even while running.
2. Manual Incline: Manual incline can not be increased or decreased while running on the treadmill. You have to get off the treadmill to make the treadmill steeper. Manual treadmill works by changing the latch position which can be located on the rear sides of treadmill.

Treadmill Workout Necessary Settings & Controls

Preset Programs

Modern treadmills come with preset program options that can be accessed through the buttons on treadmill control panel. 

These preset programs are beneficial for beginners and advanced runners as well. You can select any program according to your fitness level. Some machines may ask your weight, age and intensity level as optional metrics to suggest personalized workouts.

If you are just starting out and naive to treadmill use I will suggest you not try preset program settings as a beginner. Initially, for sometime use treadmill manual options available at treadmill display console. Use manual or one-touch speed & incline controls for initial 4-5 days.

The preset program is considered the best program for the newbies(i.e: used treadmill for 4-5 times). It will slowly take you through different exercises and levels.

This will also help you in cooling down and warming up without any difficulty. It will adjust your speed, distance, and incline which helps beginners in burning calories easily.

Safety Key

The safety key is another important feature in treadmill control panel, which is really helpful during the time of an emergency.

Treadmills are very well-balanced and fully equipped machines but we should not compromise on our safety while using such machines because they can behave abruptly anytime.

What is safety key? It’s a small red key that is attached with a small magnet on treadmill console and other end is attached to the cloth of athlete as a safety measure to avoid any accident. 

How Treadmill Safety Key Works?

In the case of an emergency, you can just pull it out. It will immediately slow down the treadmill belt and stop the machine. 

Sometimes safety keys go out of order and people don’t pay attention to them. That’s a very stupid thing. You should at least use some alternative of treadmill safety key from home to prevent accident..

Handrails

Handrails are definitely important elements of treadmills for safety. But now they have become more important because modern treadmills have integrated speed & incline buttons in the handrails to easily switch between speeds without leaning to treadmill console while running. 

Some treadmill brands have touch sensors in their handrails to monitor your heart rate and pulse. Just cling to the handrail while workout and your vital signs will be shown on treadmill control panel.

The touch sensors can present either on the front handrails or side handrails. Compare touch sensor positions on various treadmills with these images.

Pause & Cool Down Buttons

Modern treadmills have introduced the new feature for their athletes to monitor their total workout even if they take a break from running. Because if you stop the treadmill for rest it will reset the settings. And many of us don’t want to lose track of the performance.

So companies figured out a way to stop treadmill temporarily.

Pause button stops the treadmill belt temporarily without turning off the treadmill motor. So that you can take rest, normal your breathing rate, adjust your cloth or safety key or listen to a call without turning off treadmill display & losing your workout performance. 

Again press “Pause” button to resume your workout at the same speed & incline settings you stopped it.

Cool Down button slows the treadmill belt gradually in 30sec to 2 minutes. This could be also achieved by reducing the speed manually from control panel. 

But this ‘Cool Down’ feature demands one press to gradually lower the speed in order to avoid dizziness which you can face otherwise if the treadmill stops abruptly. This is very important treadmill setting if you are a beginner to avoid light-headedness & dizziness.

Adjust The Control Panel Height

A control panel height adjustment is a simple adjustment of a console according to your height.

If you are tall you can simply press HEIGHT UP to increase its height and if you are short then push HEIGHT DOWN and it will be adjusted according to your height.

Many people don’t use this key but if you are feeling uncomfortable with the console height you can use it.

Understand Vital Signs & Marathon Metrics on Treadmill Control Panel

Treadmill control panels possess variety of other features in addition to speed, incline, preset programs. A significant portion of treadmill display console is covered with vital signs like heart rate, pulse, and calories burnt throughout workout and other important marathon metrics like distance you have covered while running, time taken to complete workout.

Let’s see these treadmill settings in detail.

Heart Rate & Pulse Display on Console

Most modern motorized treadmills display vital signs like instantaneous heart rate & pulse of athletes that change continuously while jogging or running.

How to Check Pulse & Heart Rate?

I’ll answer this in a phrase eloquently: Step, Sweat, & See: Get Your Heart Rate & Pulse by Grabbing Treadmill Handrails

In some cases touch sensors are on front handrails, while some treadmills have sensors on side rails. 

Refer to the pictures below to identify touch sensor locations: A visual guide to handrail sensor positions on various treadmills.

Calories Burnt

One of the other metrics on treadmill control panel is total calories burnt by the user during the workout. 

Some people just run or jog for fitness and good health. 

Those dedicated to fitness often make calculated decisions while exercising, including the amount of time to spend on the treadmill, the equipment choice for fat loss, and the composition of their diet (low-fat and high-protein). These individuals, who prioritize tracking their progress, value the ability to calculate their calorie burn during workouts.

Heart Rate Monitor(Grasp on the front handrail or in some cases siderails to monitor your heart rate, pulse etc), Distance Covered, Calories, Time Spent, Mode(simply product videos, cursor fitness).

Marathon Metrics: Distance & Time Spent

The distance button plays a vital role in a control panel; it can help you find how much distance you have covered during your exercise.

Like speed, distance can also be measured in kilometers and miles. Distance on a treadmill is usually checked by belt revolutions.

When you check your covered distance it will boost your mood and give you the energy to do more to shed unwanted fats.

Time Spent will help you track your total workout time. This can also be used to set a time for your preset workout program on control panel.

Mode: How this Option Operates in Treadmill

Mode is an option in Modern motorized treadmills which have sleek and minimalist control panels with very less buttons. So, another such add-on is ‘Mode’ button. 

In such treadmills, companies introduced the ‘Mode’ button which performs multiple functions like displaying time, distance, calories. It works by switching across these options when you click on ‘Mode’ button. The video I found helpful on depiction of ‘Mode’ feature.

How to Operate Treadmill Machine: Tips for Beginners

Test Run Before Starting A Program

According to the expert’s opinion, take a test run to check machine before starting your exercise program on the treadmill.

Start from the first step and test till the last level before setting your exercise program. Get someone in gym to help you for the first time. Stay near the handrails & use the safety switch as a safety measure.

Follow all the steps and make sure that you can continue the program without hassle.

If you understand all the steps now you can set up your program and go for the walk.

Start Your Walk

When you learn to operate the treadmill buttons now you can start walking on a treadmill.

Set your speed, distance, and all the requirements according to your convenience.

A treadmill will definitely play an important role when you want to shed extra kilos and tone your body.

Best Treadmill Settings for Beginners: Start & Operate Treadmill Machine Easily

We have meticulously analyzed the treadmill control panel and other features of treadmill console along with handrails. Now it’s time to understand the best treadmill settings for beginners who are just starting their journey whether in their home or at gym. This will help them in weight loss particularly subcutaneous fat through aerobic exercise. 

Here is the workout containing best basic treadmill settings for beginners, that I’ve crafted based on a weekly routine to shed weight using a treadmill. 

Use Safety Key Before Starting a Treadmill

Always use safety key before operating a treadmill machine. Because your safety comes first. This is safety measure but I intentionally included in the beginner settings, since I know from my experience most beginners make this mistake by not using a safety key.

Start the Treadmill, Adjust Speed and Incline

Turn the treadmill On, press ‘Start’ button, increase the Speed as per advice of your trainer or that suits you as a beginner. Anyhow, I’ll recommend a plan which will help lose 4-5 kg in a month. 

If you want to make your workout intense, you can increase the incline of the treadmill.

Treadmill Workout Plan for Beginners: Best Speed & Incline Settings

Refer to these terms to understand what should be settings for any beginner for a 1-month weight loss journey. Follow the below 4 weeks routine for losing stubborn belly fat or to build endurance.

• Warm Up: 5 Mins Walk at 3 mph/0% incline
• Workout: 10 Mins Jog at 4 mph/0% incline, maintain this pace
• Endurance: 5 Mins Jog at 4 mph/2% incline
• Beast: 3 Mins Running at 6 mph/0% incline
• Cool Down: Gradually reduce the speed in 2 mins and end your workout.

Week 1

1. Warm Up session followed by ‘Workout’. 
2. 1 min slow walk at 3mph.
3. Second ‘Workout’ round.*

Week 2

1. Warm Up session followed by ‘Workout’.*
2. 1 min slow walk at 3mph.
3. ‘Endurance’ jog followed by Beast Mode.
4. End with ‘Cool Down’ session.

Week 3

1. Warm Up session followed by ‘Workout’.
2. 1 min slow walk at 3mph.
3. ‘Endurance’ jog followed by Beast Mode.
4. End with ‘Workout’ Mode for 5 mins.

Week 4

1. Warm Up session followed by ‘Endurance’ session.
2. Perform ‘Beast’ session.
3. Take 1 min rest.
4. ‘Endurance’ session followed by ‘Beast’ session.
5. End with ‘Cool Down’ session.

Note: *Can increase the speed & intensity as per your need.

Want to Know More?

There are other settings too in the control panel of the treadmill that can help you to go advance with your running and exercising program on a treadmill.

Advance Level Setting

• You can check and count your calories while you are exercising on treadmill, it will help you to maintain your calories, and you can further check how much time you burn those calories.
• HIIT is the best mode, it will make your workout program harder and boost it. This setting will help to speed up your cardio exercise and then slow down this with which your heart rate will also fluctuate. You can burn more calories if you use this mode.
• You can also check your heart rate and pulse rate when you exercise on a treadmill. In some treadmills, there is a strap that helps us in monitoring accurate heart rate.
• If you want to go more advanced in exercise use hill incline mode, it will make your walk harder, and you can achieve your goal in no time.
• You can also monitor METs on a treadmill. It will enhance your cardio exercises and you know your target well to achieve. It differs from person to person according to their age, energy, and fitness level.

Also Read: How Manual Treadmill Works

Conclusive Words

I am now undeniably sure that you have enough information about the control panel of the treadmill.

Losing weight is not rocket science you just need to follow basic treadmill settings and use the right treadmill machine which comes with all modern apps to make your walk and weight loss goal certain.

If you do not understand or have an issue regarding the control panel read the twice or thrice user manual or talk to your trainer about the use of the treadmill control panel.

FAQs