While owning your own treadmill has many perks, many new owners don’t realize regular maintenance is essential to keep a treadmill in tip-top shape through regular use.
Luckily, maintaining your treadmill can be easy, as long as you regularly assess and lubricate your equipment.
In this guide, I’ve listed four tips to help you upkeep your treadmill and keep it running smoothly for years to come!
1. Lubricate Your Treadmill
Treadmills are designed to support movable parts. But constant movement can cause unnecessary friction, which can damage parts.
Properly lubricating the running deck is necessary to keep moving parts on your treadmill in the best shape possible. Most treadmills require to be lubricated every six months or 150 miles, whichever comes first.
Silicone-based spray or treadmill lubricant often works as the best lubricant for treadmills. Use the following steps to lubricate your treadmill quickly and easily.
Lift the running belt on one side and apply lube in a zigzag pattern or apply the lube using a cloth or latex glove.
Be sure to rub the oil on both sides of the treadmill for best results.
Run the treadmill for one minute to set in the lubrication.
Watch this video to see how to easily lubricate the deck of your treadmill.
2. Maintain Your Treadmill Running Deck
Make sure that your belt is aligned properly on your treadmill. Unaligned belts can be subject to uneven wear and even tearing if they rub against the frame of your treadmill improperly.
Treadmills can have unique alignment adjustment processes, so it’s best to refer to your user manual on how to maintain proper alignment. However, many treadmills have adjustments that can easily be modified with an Allen wrench.
You can make alignment adjustments by turning your Allen wrench clockwise and counterclockwise to get your desired adjustment.
Watch this video to see how to align the belt of your Sunny Health & Fitness treadmill.
3. Clean Your Treadmill Workout Area
After every workout, wipe down your running belt with a damp cloth to remove any dust or sweat that could have accumulated during your workout. This will prevent any sticky residue from encountering any of the treadmill’s movable parts.
Don’t forget to clean and sanitize around your workout area. Watch for humidity, dust, or anything that can easily be lodged into the treadmill, especially underneath the equipment. Vacuum frequently around the treadmill to prevent dust accumulation.
Keep the frame of the treadmill clean. You’ll want to use a cleaning solution that will not only reduce the spread of harmful bacteria, but also prevent the metal from becoming contaminated.
4. Rest Your Treadmill Motor
If you are running so that the belt in your wardrobe can fit, you may need to give the running belt on your treadmill a break.
The treadmill belt is constantly in motion, and that can be a heavy mechanical task for any motor. We recommend powering your treadmill off for at least 10 minutes every 2 hours of use to prolong the life of your motor.
Even if you don’t plan on overusing your motor, it still needs to be rested. Simply running on your treadmill’s motor without regular rest can cause failure and could be dangerous to your wellbeing.
If you’re considering adding a treadmill to your home gym, check out our 2021 Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill Purchasing Guide. Looking for more tips about setting up a proper home gym? Check out these tips to help prepare you to set up your best home gym yet!
