How to Level a Treadmill

No one wants a wobbly treadmill, that’s for sure. The question is what to do about it. The good news is, most of your better home treadmills these days come with automatic leveling feet and are downright simple to adjust. Some of the older, or lower-priced models, might need a little more work, but it’s still not difficult. Before you select a place to assemble your treadmill you’ll definitely want to check to make sure your flooring is level. Depending on the number of times you have to move it about, you’ll also want to check the adjustments.

One thing you’ll want to have on hand is a level, which if you don’t have, can be purchased at any local hardware store or online. Depending on the model, you might need a Phillips head screwdriver. Read below to see the step-by-step process of leveling a treadmill.

How to Level Your Treadmill

Whether you have a treadmill which folds and rolls away or a stationary model, you’ll first want to first determine whether or not the is unit level. Using the level you have, lay it across both the left and right side of the unit, as well as the back, to see how far off you are. A good level will have a meter stick or some kind of ruler on it so you can gauge how many inches or centimeters one side or the other needs to come up to be level. Once you have that measurement, the next step will be locating the levelers on your treadmill. See the images below for reference.

The leveling feet on a NordicTrack EXP 7i are easy enough to find if you lift the treadmill upright and look at the bottom.

Once you’ve found the leveling feet, you’ll want to adjust them per the measurements you took with the level. You’ll adjust the leveling feet by turning left, or counter-clockwise. On Horizon treadmills, you’ll tighten a nut with an adjustable wrench, whereas on other models you’ll use a Phillips head screwdriver. Leveling feet can also be found at the front and middle depending on the model. If you’re having a hard time finding them, check out the product manual as nearly every make and model can be found online. Once you’ve adjusted the leveling feet, put the unit down and apply the level again to see if it worked, or if you have to repeat until the unit is even with the floor.

Really, the biggest trick in leveling a treadmill is finding the leveling feet and determining whether you’ll need a wrench or screwdriver. Folding treadmills are much easier to work with but the same process applies with stationary units. Making sure your treadmill is level with the floor is crucial though. An uneven treadmill can cause the belt to fall out of alignment and potentially wear out the deck with too much usage on one side or the other. You’ll also want to spare your floors the clanging and banging of an off-keel treadmill.