How To Move A Treadmill

How you plan to move the treadmill is among the first questions you should ask before placing the unit inside your home. Along with how to assemble the machine, you’ll want to remember how it comes apart in the event you need to move it. Reasons for having to move the treadmill will greatly determine the method. Folding treadmills are built for just this purpose and come with easy lifting systems which make moving them simple as can be. That not only helps when one is looking to move a treadmill to another room, but you might be able to roll the whole unit into a moving truck with some help and good safety straps. If you have a non-folding treadmill and need to move it to another home, we have an entirely different situation. Moving a Sole F80 is obviously much easier than a larger Peloton treadmill which doesn’t fold or roll. Top reasons for having to move a treadmill include:

• To clean the floor around it and perform maintenance.
• To store it when not in use.
• To take it to a new home if you’ve moved.
• To sell or get rid of the unit when it comes time to upgrade.

The best treadmills for home use can cost upwards of $2,000 and you certainly don’t want to leave them with the dust. Nor do you want to bang up the machine when moving it about, or just let it sit without a good cleaning underneath. Figuring out how to move a treadmill is just one of those aspects of ownership that come along with it, much like lubrication and maintenance.

A treadmill which folds can be wheeled away when not in use.
Photo by: Oleksandr Kosheliev / TreadmilReviews.net

Folding Treadmills Are Easier to Roll About

Folding treadmills are quite popular and these days sacrifice no quality whatsoever. I’ve had both a NordicTrack EXP 7i and Commercial 1750 in my own home and been to the corporate showrooms of iFit and Johnson Fitness & Wellness for hands-on demonstrations. Depending on the brand of machine you’ve purchased you’ll want to check the instructions, but the concept these days is pretty standard across most makes. Most folding treadmills simply lift up from the back by way of a hydraulic system. Lowering them just requires a light tug down. With front-mounted transport wheels, all one has to do is push the upright unit up onto the wheels and roll it about like a handcart. Even a 300- to 400-pound treadmill is pretty easy to move about this way.

I’ve become a big advocate of the better folding treadmills these days for just this reason. There’s very little you can’t do on a NordicTrack Commercial 1750. Back in the old days, people might have associated the term folding treadmill with cheaper units, but that’s not the case anymore. Unless you’re planning on sitting that machine in a permanent place for the rest of its life, give strong consideration to the folding models. Even if you’re planning to sell the unit, you might very well be able to load a folding treadmill into a moving truck by simply rolling it up a ramp. If you go this route, be sure to properly secure the unit for travel. Remember the monitor contains a computer process and touchscreen and should be covered while in transit.

Folding treadmills such as the NordicTrack EXP 7i have an easy-to-use hydraulic lift system. One simple tug on the end can activate the lift mechanism. Lowering the unit is performed with a squeeze button beneath. Front-end transport wheels make movement as easy as lifting and rolling like a dolly.

The NordicTrack EXP 7i has easy-to-read instructions on the lift mechanism.

Non-Folding Treadmills Might Require Disassembly

If you need to move a non-folding treadmill, make sure to bring a few friends. As a brief anecdote, I had shipped to my house for testing an Echelon Stride-5s treadmill and decided to forgo the in-home assembly offered by the company. This meant I wound up carrying the 300-plus pound box unit into my own house. Wow! Keep in mind these machines are heaviest at the front end where the motor is situated and typically measure 80″ in length. That’s about the length of a couch with three times the weight and no fluffy stuffing.

To move a non-folding treadmill for sale or even room to room, you’ll have to unscrew the handlebars and monitor from the actual deck itself. What I would recommend is keeping as much of this unit together as possible. So if the monitor and handlebars are secured together, you should be able to simply leave those together and then carry them to the new location as one piece. For this job you might need a drill with a reverse option as home installers typically use that to secure the unit together. Moving the deck itself will require at minimum two people. Frankly four would be ideal as you’ll need to have doors opened for you as you move. Unless you have a small desk treadmill, a non-folding treadmill will require assistance in moving.

As with the folding units, be sure to keep the monitor covered and secure while moving. Treadmills these days are Bluetooth-enabled and have sensitive touch screens. When in doubt, always go with safety, and be sure to secure the pieces while moving. Disassembly of course requires re-assembly and once finished you’ll want to make sure your belt is properly tightened, aligned, and lubricated.

Moving a treadmill from one location to another might require disassembling it. Check the front of the unit for the screws which hold together the frame and deck.

When In Doubt, Get Help

Treadmills are pricey investments and if you’re planning to move one, get help if needed. Depending on your size and strength levels, assistance might be required in moving a unit between rooms if the spaces are tight. The good news is, if you do have to disassemble a treadmill and have thrown away the instruction manual which came with the product, most brands have these documents as PDFs on their corporate sites. Here you can check out the assembly instructions for the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 with a video included.

A little bit of planning goes a long way when moving anything. But when it comes to treadmills, a little forethought is what you’ll wish you had if you proceed without it. While not a complicated subject, most moves of this nature do require help. Don’t be afraid to ask.