When using a treadmill, many people instinctively reach for the handrails for stability or to maintain a challenging pace or incline. This behavior raises questions about the accuracy of the machine’s calorie readout. The display estimates energy expenditure based on a natural, hands-free walking or running motion. Users often suspect that relying on the handrails is “cheating” the workout, and this suspicion is accurate. The way you interact with the machine directly influences the physical work your body performs.
The Simple Answer: Reduced Caloric Expenditure
The answer to whether holding onto the treadmill burns fewer calories is yes. Gripping the handrails provides mechanical assistance that reduces the overall effort required to keep pace with the moving belt. This action significantly lowers energy expenditure compared to walking or running hands-free at the identical speed and incline. Because the treadmill’s calorie counter calculates effort based on the machine’s settings without detecting this external support, the displayed number becomes an inaccurate overestimation of your actual burn.
The Physiological Reason: Muscle Recruitment and Support
Holding the handrails transfers body weight and effort away from the muscles designed to propel and stabilize you. During a natural, hands-free gait, lower body and core stabilizing muscles, including the glutes and abdominals, are actively engaged to maintain balance and posture. Offloading weight reduces the workload on these large muscle groups. This reduction in muscle recruitment directly decreases the demand for oxygen, the primary driver of calorie burning during aerobic exercise.
Furthermore, a hands-free walk or run involves the natural, reciprocal swing of the arms, which contributes to forward momentum and caloric expenditure. When you hold the rails, this arm swing is restricted, disrupting the body’s kinetic chain and altering stride mechanics. This restriction diminishes the total muscle mass being used, allowing the body to complete the exercise with less metabolic effort. The consequence is a less challenging workout that burns fewer calories than the machine indicates.
Estimating the Calorie Reduction
The quantifiable impact of holding the treadmill rails on energy expenditure can be substantial. Studies show that simply holding the handrails while walking can reduce caloric burn by as much as 20% compared to a hands-free movement at the same speed and incline. The reduction becomes even more pronounced if you lean back or put significant weight on the rails, which can decrease the metabolic cost by over 30%. This effect is particularly noticeable when walking on an incline, as gripping the rails essentially cancels out a portion of the challenging angle by allowing you to pull yourself up the simulated hill.
The treadmill’s built-in calorie display is inaccurate because it lacks the sensors to detect the external support you are providing. The machine assumes a standard physiological response to the programmed settings, leading to a calculated calorie burn that is higher than what your body actually achieved. For a user focused on maximizing their energy expenditure, relying on the handrails is directly counterproductive to their goal.
Strategies for Safe, Hands-Free Treadmill Use
For those who rely on the handrails for perceived safety or to maintain a speed that feels too fast hands-free, adjusting the machine’s settings is the most effective approach. The immediate step is to lower the speed or the incline until you can comfortably maintain your balance without any hand support. This allows your body to re-learn the natural, hands-free gait that properly engages your core and stabilizing muscles.
Focusing on engaging your core, as if bracing for a light touch to the stomach, can improve stability and posture, making the handrails unnecessary. As your balance and endurance improve, you can gradually increase the speed and incline in small increments. For those who feel unsteady, keep your fingers lightly hovering over the rails rather than gripping them, ensuring the handrails are only there for a quick safety tap if balance is lost, not for continuous support.