‘Head, shoulders, knees, and toes’: Treadmill trip causes man to fall down in more ways than should be humanly possible

Do you view exercise as a necessary evil or a favorite time of day? I’m always grateful to fit a dumbbell workout or a rare IRL barre class into my busy routine, but I totally get that not everyone enjoys it. After watching this video of the unexpected things that can happen at the gym, I might want to take a break from movement!

The @espn TikTok account shared a video from @marchtheo of a man falling while running on the treadmill. This video is so unique because, as the caption reads, “He really fell so many different ways.” Instead of falling off, which would be painful enough, he fell back and grabbed onto the treadmill’s handles. Then he fell into a vertical position, almost as if he was planking, and his chin hit the equipment. Ouch.

He made it out without any bad injuries and was a good sport about the whole thing. His friend filmed it and had a huge grin on his face. Well, no one could blame him for being amazed at the numerous times his pal dropped to the ground. Everyone in the comments section was on the same page: exactly how did this epic fall take place? One user wrote, “He fell four times but stayed on his feet” and added that they were “confused.” Another joked, “Not falling, but falling, very Demure, very confusing.” One user wrote, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes,” which was perfect.

@marchtheo posted a new TikTok and shared a comment about how he “nearly did a burpee.” He was in great spirits still and got of a car and jumped, proving that he’s totally fine despite his massive fall.

Sprained ankles and sore legs are sadly typical experiences for runners and gymgoers, and if you’ve been working out for a while, you might have gotten hurt once or twice. And falling off a treadmill is actually a common issue. According to The Washington Post, 22,500 Americans went to the E.R. in 2019 from using their treadmill at home. One year later, the number was 15,800. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around that number of falls! It gets even more tragic. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that, between 2003 and 2012, 30 people died because of treadmills.

Using this piece of equipment can be an accessible form of cardio, though, whether you run or walk or a combo. Since they’re so popular, people have advice on how to use them safely. Consumer Reports expert Peter Anzalone said people should embrace the safety key and safety clip each time they workout. Anzalone also suggested people stare ahead, not down, or they might feel uneven and that could cause falls.

The truth, though, is that you could get hurt doing any kind of exercise, which is a major bummer since it can be so hard to get out the door and to the gym. Or into your basement. Or spare room. According to one study of 100 people who took a high-intensity class for six weeks, “the injury rate was almost three times the rate reported in previous studies,” as Edward Laskowski, M.D. explained. He added that good form and being careful about “higher-risk” moves is the way to go when it comes to higher-intensity workout classes. Or maybe we should all avoid treadmills and take up some nice relaxing yoga.