A treadmill includes a tread belt that is rotatable in a forward direction and a backward direction. Before changing rotation directions on the tread belt, the treadmill implements a safety action. The safety action includes an alert and input in response to the alert to improve the safety of the user.

A system for a treadmill with a tread that rotates on front wheels supported on a front axle and rear wheels supported on a rear axle includes a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism comprises a first device associated with one of the front axle or the rear axle and configured to prevent rotation of respective front wheels or rear wheels in a first direction and a second device associated with another of the front axle or the rear axle and configured to prevent rotation of the respective front wheels or rear wheels in a second direction opposite the first direction. The system also includes a controller and a sensor configured to detect a user on the tread. The controller is configured to, in response to the sensor detecting no user on the manual treadmill, engage the locking mechanism to prevent movement of the front wheels and the rear wheels.

A treadmill having a curved treadmill deck is provided. Two curved side frames are disposed at two sides of the treadmill frame. Front and rear end ends of each curved side frame are higher than a middle section thereof. Inner sides of the two curved side frames are provided with a plurality of fixing seats, respectively. The fixing seats have fixing holes, respectively. An elastic deck is composed of a plurality of sheets connected side by side. The sheets each have perforations corresponding in position to the fixing holes of the respective fixing seats. A plurality of fixing pins are inserted in the perforations of the sheets of the elastic deck and secured to the fixing holes of the fixing seats. The elastic deck is forcibly fastened by the fixing pins and slightly deformed according to the curvature of the curved side frames to form the curved treadmill deck.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a left and right balancing system for a treadmill may comprise two detection devices respectively installed at a left and right side of the treadmill, detecting strengths of vibrations respectively at the left and right side of the treadmill when a user exercises on the treadmill, generating detection strength signals according to the detected strengths, and transferring the generated detection strength signals to the user, and a notification device receiving the detection strength signals from the detection devices and indicating the user's left and right balance state.

An exercise treadmill includes a frame, an endless belt, and a motor assembly for guiding the belt between front and rear ends of the frame while a user walks or runs on the belt. An impact absorbing assembly is supported beneath a region of the treadmill belt impacted by the user's feet when the user walks or runs on the belt. The assembly has physical properties that serve to define degrees of damping or springiness of the belt in the region impacted by the user. A control system including a user interface is coupled to the absorbing assembly, and the system is configured and operative to vary the physical properties of the assembly in response to an output from the user interface. The region of treadmill belt impacted by the user's feet then simulates a desired one of a number of different surfaces entered by the user on the interface.

A treadmill system includes a deck, an endless tread belt covering at least a portion of the deck, a position sensor that senses a position of a user when the user is on the tread belt, and a control module that adjusts a speed of the tread belt in response to an output of the position sensor.

There is described an integrated unweighted gait training system having an unweighting system comprising a computer controller; a gait measurement system in communication with the controller; and a display in communication with the computer controller adapted and configured to provide real-time feedback to a user of the integrated unweighting gait training system. The unweighting system may be a differential air pressure (DAP) unweighting system or a non-DAP unweighting system.

A treadmill comfort belt includes a strap having a first end portion and a second end portion. Each of the first end portion and the second end portion has a securing member. A lumbar support portion is disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion. A compressible sleeve is disposed over the lumbar support portion. A collar is slidingly disposed over the first end portion and the second end portion. The collar is adapted to slide between the securing members and the sleeve. A method of using the belt is also provided.

Disclosed are various approaches for determining the maximum oxygen consumption of a person, also known as maximum aerobic capacity or VO.sub.2 Max. A person is positioned on a treadmill. Attached to the person is a harness configured to apply a horizontal force to the person. A work rate for the person can be calculated based at least in part on the magnitude of the horizontal force applied by the harness and the velocity of the belt. The maximum oxygen consumption for the person can then be calculated based at least in part on the previously calculated work rate.

An exercise apparatus comprises a platform having a front roller, a rear roller and an endless belt mounted around the front roller and the rear roller for allowing a user to perform a first exercise type of a relatively lower resistance or a second exercise type of a relatively higher resistance. A front frame is mounted at a front side of the platform and has at least one holding portion adapted to be grasped by the user. One or more control interfaces controls the first exercise type and the second exercise type.