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Deal When You Fly Off the Treadmill

By Paige Waehner, About.com

Updated May 08, 2003

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

We've all done clumsy things at the gym and I'll bet you've seen someone trip while they're on the treadmill and go flying off the back. Here's how to recover.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: All Day
Here's How:
  1. After you fall off the treadmill, stand up and look around to see if anyone's watching. Chances are, a LOT of people just saw that.
  2. Approach your enemy (i.e., the treadmill) and stop it, then carefully inspect it.
  3. Reach down and act like you're brushing something off the treadmill belt.
  4. Say (loud enough for everyone within a 100-foot radius can here), "now how the heck did THAT get on there?"
  5. Hold the imaginary object up to the light and examine it.
  6. If you decide to get back on the treadmill say, "you better watch out for these treadmills!" Get back on and act like the Incident never occurred.
  7. If you're looking for a graceful exit, say, "I'm going to complain about this!"
  8. Stalk off in the direction of the front desk muttering, "I want to see the manager!"
  9. When you're out of site, make a beeline for the bathroom, grab your stuff and sneak out the back door.
  10. Wait a few days before going back to the gym, to allow everyone to forget your little faux pas.
Tips:
  1. To avoid such disasters, take it slow and look down every now and then to make sure you're still on the belt.
  2. Don't try to do any of the following while running: -adjust your walkman -take off your sweatshirt -check out the cute thing that just walked by
  3. Don't try to compete with the person next to you (especially if he/she is running at 10 mph with a 10% incline). Go at your own pace.
  4. If you see someone else fly off the treadmill, have the courtesy to pretend you didn't see. They'll do the same for you.
What You Need:
  • Quick Reflexes
  • Ability to Think Fast
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