I LOST MY TREADMILL MAGNET; CAN I USE A REFRIGERATOR MAGNET INSTEAD?

While most refrigerator magnets are not strong enough to turn on a treadmill, a few are. However, the practice of substituting a refrigerator magnet or any other magnet for the safety magnet that was designed to be used with your treadmill is extremely dangerous and should be avoided.

The treadmill safety magnet with its associated clip cord, often called a safety lanyard, is part of a safety mechanism that has been incorporated into the design of your treadmill to avoid or at least minimize injury to the user in the case of a loss of balance, loss of control of the treadmill or the treadmill speeding up on its own unexpectedly.

Keep in mind that many treadmills are designed with program options. When the treadmill is used in a program mode, the speed is subject to change without the user having to depress a "speed up" button on the treadmill's display console. Of course, a treadmill running belt could unexpectedly increase in speed or surge momentarily due to a malfunction of the speed sensor, motor controller or other component.

Safety devices on fitness equipment should never be circumvented. The cost of replacing the treadmill's safety magnet assembly is a small price to pay for the safety of yourself and your family.