Moving Tips: How to Move a Treadmill

As professional North Vancouver movers, we’re no strangers to moving exercise equipment. In 2008, we were even responsible for moving treadmills and bikes to the Olympic Oval. We were so proud of that moment, we put it in our gallery!

Anyway, enough of our gloating. We thought we’d give you some tips on how to move a treadmill. Let’s dive in:

Have the right equipment ready to move a treadmill

Just like our articles on:

• How To Move A Lawn Mower
• How To Move A Granite, Concrete Or Heavy, Countertop
• How to Move an Oven Range
• How to Move a Bed Frame
• How To Move A Deep Freezer
• How to Move a Mattress
• How to move and store a washer and dryer
• How to move a Refrigerator

You’re going to need the right equipment. (And yes, we have more ‘How to move a…’ articles on our blog, should you wish to search for them!).

The good news is that when you move one of the above, you’ll likely have some of the equipment needed to move a treadmill. So there may be overlap here.

Some main moving supplies you’ll need to move a treadmill are:

• Moving straps
• Moving blankets
• Gloves with grip
• Drill or screwdriver (if disassembly is needed). Sometimes an allen key works too.
• Moving dollies (find the right one by reading this)
• Plastic wrap (to hold together foldable treadmills)

And, if you’re really wanting to protect your treadmill, an A-frame wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Know your type of treadmill before you plan to move it

Different types of treadmills require different measures to move them. This article on eBay sums up the kinds you can buy on the market. The important questions you’ll need to ask for moving a treadmill are:

• Is it foldable? If so, how do we safely fold this model? (i.e. there may be a latch or special way to do this)
• If it’s not foldable, should we take it apart to move it? And what equipment do we need to take it apart? (We’d say ‘yes’ to taking it apart)
• Is there a safety key we need to unplug, or keep plugged in?
• Is the rubber track band removable? If not, how will we prevent it from getting damaged or warped during the move?
• Are there electrical parts that need to be protected from moisture during the move?
• Are there wheels to help us move the treadmill? If so, how will we unsecure them?

If you find yourself needing to move a foldable treadmill, this will likely be your easiest option. Simply follow manufacturer instructions to fold it down, get it flat, cover it up, then find a safe, immovable spot to lean it against in the moving truck.

For the non-foldable types of treadmills, you may have the easiest experience taking it apart, even if it feels like a hassle in the beginning.

Finally, get an idea of weight. Treadmills can be heavy, and the last thing you’d want is to injure yourself while moving one. Use the right protocols when moving anything heavy, but for a treadmill, get friend or two to help out as well.

Store the removal parts of a treadmill together

Staying organized when you move any object is important. But with a treadmill, it’s even more so. This is because some of it’s smaller parts, like removal bolts or screws, may be specially sized for their use (or ok, maybe you can get them at the hardware store, but that will be a hassle). But the most important thing is not losing the key! If you do, you’ll have a real problem because the treadmill is designed not to work without it. According to this article, you should be taping all the parts you can to the frame of the treadmill, so you don’t lose them. That includes chords.

It goes without saying you’ll need to unplug the treadmill and all its chords before moving it.

Prevent temperature and debri damage when moving your treadmill

According to this article, storing your treadmill in a garage is bad enough. It explains how temperature fluctuations and dirt in a treadmill’s motor can render warranties ineffective.

Now, think about how these same ‘treadmill enemies’ can affect your exercise equipment while moving. If you’re moving long distance, consider the climate changes the treadmill will endure during the move. Will it be outside in very cold temperatures overnight? Will the truck be dirty and dusty?

While you may be fine with something like a treadmill going through one move on a cold or hot day, it’s good to take precautions. At the very least keep a blanket over it. And ask about moving insurance.

It also goes without saying that you shouldn’t be placing items on top of your treadmill while it’s in the moving truck. Instead, find a way to lean flat it against something, whether horizontally or vertically. Don’t move it whole into the truck, then pack boxes on the rubber track. You’ll want to keep that free from potential damage, so you don’t have to replace any parts later.

After moving a treadmill, protect the floor it sits on

This article explains how treadmills can damage floors, and how to prevent it. If your treadmill was on a carpet at your old home, and your new home has hardwood, you may have a problem. Use the solutions given in the aforementioned article to protect your floors.

Watch some videos on how to move a treadmill

Sometimes, a video helps a lot.

When you read articles like this one on how to move a treadmill, it can get confusing, so we won’t do that to you here. For example, what do they mean by “the end”? Which end? And what if you don’t find a latch on your particular treadmill?

So, watching it done can help explain the missing gaps.

For example, this video shows how to disassemble a treadmill before moving it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUR7oMhFEvI

And this video explains how to fold a treadmill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0N-uJ-lz9U

This video shows how to move a commercial treadmill (in this case for rotating within the same gym room):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgzPHDcoV9E

And you can search YouTube for more tips.

As you can see, moving a treadmill is not extremely complicated. But since it is an expensive piece of exercise equipment, you will want to do it carefully. Take the time to protect it, and you can save yourself from having to replace any parts or worse – buy a new treadmill – because of a simple mistake.

Need help moving a treadmill? Our North Vancouver movers are here for you! Give us a call and we’ll give you a free estimate for the job. And yes, we help gyms move their other exercise equipment too!