Would you ever interrupt someone walking on a treadmill?

[TreadmillWoes]

In a gym with several unused treadmills, someone with headphones on is walking on one of them. Are there any circumstances short of a fire alarm or closing time you would come up on the next treadmill and lean in to their field of view to get their attention?
I had been walking slowly backwards with my hands over the rails, I lifted myself up and put my feet on the sides - there are edges specifically for doing this - turned round and was walking forwards and turning up the speed and incline.
I had to stop the machine losing my stats, take off my headphones and stop my podcast, and engage in a several minute conversation which turned out that she wanted me to use the stop button on the string rather than the side platforms to turn around.
She was sat on the rowing machine from before I arrived till after I left, though I didn't actually see her row.
Surely she could and should have waited till I'd finished if she really wanted to tell me how she'd prefer me to do things. In fairness she was smiley and friendly, but ruined my whole workout. There is more but this is long.

That's probably the one cardio machine I would interrupt on. Most people can talk and walk at the same time

It’s def not a “condition of their insurance”!!

OP I can’t work out for the life of me what you were doing but unless it was a member of staff no one should’ve interrupted you

Clearly I left something very important out of my post. It was some random I have never seen there before in several years of membership. The staff do not sit around on rowing machines not rowing in any gym I have been to, but no doubt it does happen somewhere.
That is not to say the staff never use the gym, but no, not staff.
To answer some questions:
I frequently see others 'deliberately' using the side platforms to pause for various reasons including in the middle of a fast run to do things like drink or use their phone, catch their breath, or adjust the machine. It seems completely normal and there are no indications not to.
I didn't just remove the headphones without stopping the machine because that would have been dangerous, maybe not for you, but for me. I was suddenly surprised by someone leaning round in my face waving and apparently shouting at me while my head was listening to a podcast and adjusting the controls on the machine and adjusting my pace to the controls. I assumed it was important and urgent since it was such an unexpected and intrusive thing to do.
To those who voted IABU but thought it was a staff member, do you still think IABU?

I’m confused, was this a random gym user that just decided to interrupt you or staff?

I am really confused by this. If you were indeed walking backwards i.e. with your body pointed away from the front of the machine, then that sounds inherently unsafe and I am not surprised someone tried to stop you. But maybe that’s not what you mean ?

I do exactly same as op- use the sides to turn around so avoid having to stop machine which reset its. Also do the same when doing sprint intervals.

totally common in the gym I attend

Oh and it’s also very common to walk backwards on a treadmill. Not unusual at all - you hold on to the sides

Thanks @Pistachiocake yes, backwards walking is good for some knee issues, though I also forwards walk as naturally I am better at that. A slow treadmill with handrails is the only place I'd feel safe to do it.
As it happens there are two frequent users who backwards walk as part of every visit and one of them does so for long periods. The other was doing so at the same time as me but at the other end of the gym.
@Duckyfondant but would you (as non staff and a total stranger) do so in this case? I don't wear headphones on the weight machines and strangers often greet me or sometimes offer advice there, but not usually to anyone with headphones on. Mine are the very obvious over ear type.

A lot of people will do a backward walk for reasons of injury

But it’s actually quite good for you to do generally as it uses different muscles and I think it helps with agility too- So now you know!

You should’ve posted in the exercise section OP AIBU is just a bun fight and I think the dedicated gym goers hang out in the other section

I've seen somebody mess that up spectacularly and get some nasty facial injuries as a result.

You use the sides if there's an urgent reason to stop, not to start rotating like a demented jewellery box fairy.

Hahaha, yes I wasn't twirling on one tiptoe with my arms above my head! If I could do that on a moving treadmill I would probably have have been untroubled by what actually happened.

It’s extremely easy to use the sides of the treadmill. If someone had a nasty accident that’s just a nasty accident. It doesn’t make it a risky thing to do. Most people use them after intervals whilst they slow the treadmilll down

No, I would not interrupt someone on the treadmill.

There was actually an elderly woman walking really slowly backwards on a treadmill at my gym yesterday. Lots of people were doing a wry double-take. I just assumed it was some sort of recommended physio.

That doesn't sound safe, I'd be nervous if someone near me was doing that.
If you're able to turn around by standing on the platform and walk backwards on a treadmill surely you could've managed a conversation whilst still in motion to avoid losing your stats?
I've had chats with people whilst I've been on the treadmill. I didn't find it a challenge and I wouldn't be doing the acrobatics you were doing on there.

@JLou08 Have you initiated conversations with complete strangers who were wearing headphones whilst walking on a treadmill? Would you think that normal?

So you would be nervous if someone was walking backwards on a treadmill near you but think if they do then they should be able to have a conversation whilst listening to a podcast on sound cancelling headphones and adjusting the treadmill controls and walking at the same time. That does actually seem a bit contrary.
Just for perspective, the first several times you walk backwards on a treadmill it is difficult and takes concentration, and as you do it more it gets easier, maybe it even gets easy, I don't know yet. In that respect it is very similar to most things we do. It is not always obvious where in that trajectory someone is, especially if it's something so strange to you that you would be nervous around someone doing it.

I once saw a man backwards walking incrediblllyyy slowly through an exit at a festival. It must have taken him hours to get in 😂 so there is a real life application.

Am I staff or a random?

I would tell you if you had a blood stain on your pants etc

Were you facing the back of the treadmill or facing forwards but walking backwards. I’m confused!

I frequently see others 'deliberately' using the side platforms to pause for various reasons including in the middle of a fast run to do things like drink or use their phone, catch their breath, or adjust the machine. It seems completely normal and there are no indications not to.

For anyone questioning this, doing this - jumping to the sides of a moving treadmill - is absolutely normal. It was one of the first things my PT taught me to do when we were working on my running. And it's saved me from falling & injuring myself on a treadmill a couple of times, when I've tripped on a shoelace or something.

The other gym user was:
insane
dangerous
totally out of order
ignorant

No gym user should butt into your business unless you shout for help or you're about to decapitate yourself with weights and they run over to help. I wouldn't have the cheek to lean in and start bossing around another gym user.

Yes, walking backwards is really good for building strength in your legs and improving balance. She was probably doing it on the treadmill in order to hold on safely, and walking slowly because it's quite difficult to do fast.

Genuinely in the gym I go to, even if you were doing backflips while wearing nipple tassels nobody, not one person that does not work there EVER would come and speak to you for any purpose. Never. You just do not talk to people or try get their attention when they are working out. Full stop. What a weirdo. Her not you.

For those struggling to imagine it, the treadmills at my gym only go one direction, so I set the speed I want while facing the machine and then used the side platforms and handrails to turn round so my back is to the machine, then whilst holding the handrails I move my feet to the moving belt and start walking.
It is not really possible to adjust things with your back to the controls, but that's ok now I know what speed I can do backwards. When I've had enough of that I turn again by the same method and up the speed and incline to a good forward setting.

How long have you been a member at this gym?

I get you op I have to use the sides fairly often myself for different reasons to you but I do need them. Even if the weirdo was trying to help, stopping someone mid workout with a machine running AND earphones on is more dangerous than pressing the stop button yourself while running ffs. People should be given a gym etiquette lesson when being given an induction.