Children around treadmills can be dangerous. Here's why.
Exercise equipment company Peloton, best known for their hugely popular stationary bikes, are warning users about safety following the death of a child and serious brain damage to another in accidents involving their treadmills.
“I can’t tell you how much this news and horrible reality has hit me personally,” Peloton CEO John Foley said in an email to consumers. “While we are aware of only a small handful of incidents where children have been hurt, each one is devastating to all of us at Peloton."
Home gyms can be dangerous places, especially for children. One woman was exercising on her Peloton treadmill when an exercise ball was sucked underneath. Her young daughter was just feet away.
“I just feel very blessed and lucky that nothing happened to my child. And my heart breaks for the family that lost a child. As a parent, it’s just heart-wrenching,” Carly Christopher told Inside Edition.
The parents of 2-year-old Kaiden Harward say a similar accident happened to him as his mom was working out.
“There was this thump and a lot of screaming. And I was like no, he's not underneath that treadmill. And I popped off to see where he was and sure enough he was underneath the treadmill. I just screamed bloody murder,” his mom said.
Fortunately, Kaiden made a full recovery.
Videos online show accidents children sustain on all kinds of treadmills. People sustained nearly 23,000 serious injuries in 2019, including 2,000 that children under 8 years old suffered.
In the user manual, Peloton gives safety warnings to purchasers of their treadmills, which also have a safety key that should be removed when not in use. The company says its treadmills are only tested for people who weigh more than 105 pounds and are older than 16.
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