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There's been a tiny takeover in the wellness corners of social media. A small piece of fitness equipment — a mini treadmill also called a walking pad — has become a popular, bite-sized solution for staying active at home.
This humble piece of equipment is advertised as an easy way to meet your step goals, combat the negative effects of sitting all day and even tone your legs.
Unlike full-sized treadmills, walking pads are small enough to fit under a standing desk or in the corner of a room. And they are often quiet enough to use in an apartment without annoying your neighbors.
If you're anything like me, you've spent a long time resisting the urge to purchase a walking pad. And, after months of waffling, I did extensive research and finally purchased a walking pad on Black Friday in 2023.
I’ve now been using it for more than a year — and I’m completely hooked.
What is a walking pad?
A walking pad is really just a small treadmill.
With a smaller size and less powerful motor than a normal treadmill, a walking pad generally costs much less than the full-size version. Many models can even fit under a standing desk and be stored under a couch or bed.
But that also means walking pads aren't able to do everything that a traditional treadmill can do. Typically, they have a maximum speed somewhere between 3 and 6 mph. That's not fast enough to do more than a brisk walk or, maybe, a light jog.
Some walking pad models may have a fixed or limited incline, but do not have incline options. So you should plan to be walking on flat ground for the most part.
There are a few other limitations to keep in mind with a walking pad. First, because a walking pad is smaller than a normal treadmill, taller people or those with a longer gait may not find it comfortable to walk on a mini treadmill.
Additionally, walking pads tend to have lower weight limits than full-size treadmills. And many walking pad models do not have handrails, which can present some balance and safety issues for certain people.
Walking pad benefits
A walking pad can be a valuable addition to your home workout setup. But exactly how much value you get out of using a mini treadmill depends on your level of fitness and what your individual goals are, experts say.
“They’re really for walking or very light jogging,” N’Namdi Nelson, an exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center, tells TODAY.com. “So you’re probably not going to get the same cardiovascular effects as if you were (running on a full-size) treadmill or running outside.”
For people who already exercise pretty frequently, a walking pad is going to be “more of a supplemental thing,” Nelson explains. Walking pads can help people like me, who often work from home, get more steps in throughout the day without leaving the house.
And people who are newer to fitness or who haven’t worked out in a will get even more of a cardio workout with a walking pad, Nelson says.
Even if you’re using a walking pad in a supplemental way, that can be a valuable investment in your health, Dr. Jeanne Doperak, a primary care sports medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.
You might think of running outside or using a stationary bike as a “big deposit, like investing $20,” Doperak explains. “But that doesn’t mean that nickels and dimes don’t add up.” In that way, getting small doses of movement on a walking pad can be a worthwhile addition, she says.
How much does a walking pad cost?
Depending on the model, a walking pad can cost anywhere from $100 to $2,000 or more.
Less expensive models tend to have fewer incline options and lower speed limits, and they generally don't come with handrails. At higher prices, you might see other bells and whistles, like a dedicated app to control the treadmill from your phone or the ability to fold up into an even smaller size for storage.
After comparing reviews for what felt like hundreds of models in the $200 to $300 range, I realized that many of them seem to have similar issues. The belt can shift to one side and may need to be lubricated or readjusted frequently, for instance, or they may make odd noises.
I ultimately decided to purchase the Redliro Mini Walking Pad because it had excellent customer service reviews. If something is going to go wrong, I want to be able to fix it as easily as possible, I figured.
Normally, this model costs around $250-$280 on Amazon, but I purchased it on Black Friday for $200, plus shipping.
My walking pad review
The main reason I wanted a walking pad was to help me get more steps in during the day — especially when going outside wasn’t comfortable or logistically feasible.
While I do have breaks in my work day, they aren't always predictable. And I still need to be reachable and close to my computer on short notice even if I'm not actively working on something. That makes it hard to go for long walks in the park during workday hours.
During the cold winter months when the sun sets early or those horribly humid days in the summer, it’s just not fun to be outdoors at the times of day when I would theoretically have more time to walk.
The other reason I got a walking pad was to make my rest days a little more productive. My main source of exercise these days is my stationary bike, which I use for HIIT cardio sessions three or four times per week. I also do functional strength training with dumbbells to manage nerve-related hip pain about twice per week.
As much as I love working out in these ways, cycling and strength training often leave my body feeling fatigued. Before I got the walking pad, my rest days were spent sitting on the couch or at my desk, typically garnering only 3,000 steps per day.
I wanted to find a happy medium between my intense workout days and my couch potato days; I wanted to turn my recovery days into active recovery days.
When I first got my walking pad, I gave myself what felt like reasonable goals: On days when I do a cycling or strength-training workout, I wanted to get around 5,000 to 7,000 steps per day, with the help of the walking pad. And on my rest days, I wanted to try to hit the elusive 10,000 steps.
What I liked about using a walking pad
Right from the get-go, I knew I had made the right decision.
The Redliro Mini Walking Pad was heavier than I imagined, but once I got it out of the box and popped the battery into the wireless remote, it was good to go. It has wheels on one end that make it easy to maneuver, even in my small NYC apartment.
Although it was just a hair too thick to fit under my couch, I can tuck it away neatly under my bed, which is conveniently located next to my desk.
After spending an entire year with the walking pad, I still use it consistently in two ways: During meetings while at my standing desk (when I’m just expected to listen and not speak) and in the evenings while watching hours-long Twitch streams. Although I've tried to type while walking, I'm simply not coordinated enough for that.
My walking pad is a little louder than I expected, but it’s generally not intrusive. I don't use it while in meetings that require me to talk, but it's fine if I'm watching a movie or listening to audiobook. It’s a machine, so it’s going to make some noise.
This model has a maximum speed of 4 mph and a weight limit of 265 pounds. In total, the walking pad is about 4 feet long. At 5’6”, I feel like I can take full strides comfortably. But I do feel like I'm right at the upper limit. If I were any taller, I could see this model being too short.
And the walking pad fits seamlessly into my workout schedule, just as I hoped it would.
At first, I found that about 2.5 mph was a good walking speed for me. But, after a year of consistent use, I'm now totally comfortable walking at a pace of around 3 to 3.2 mph, which feels a like nice mark of progress to me.
At that speed, my heart rate gets mildly elevated and my Apple Watch counts a good amount of "exercise minutes," but I'm not out of breath or sweaty. It feels great for my sore muscles and my mental health.
Although I haven't been able to keep up with my overall daily step goals, my Apple Health app confirms that I’m getting more steps and burning more calories during the day than I was before I got the walking pad. And, over the course of a year, I was able to increase my average steps per day by 1,000 steps. My new goal is to increase that number by another 1,000 steps in 2025.
I do still try to take advantage of nicer weather to walk outdoors whenever I can. A walk to my neighborhood grocery store or pharmacy can usually get me enough steps to take the place of one of my walking pad sessions during the day. And, when the temperature is nice enough, I still love walking in the park.
What I didn’t like about using a walking pad
After my first few walks on the walking pad, I was surprised at how sore I was — especially in my calves. I was reminded that even though walking is a lower-impact form of exercise than some activities I do, it’s not a no-impact exercise!
Thankfully, my body caught up quickly. After just a few sessions, I no longer get sore after using the walking pad, even on my 10,000 steps days.
The biggest walking pad issue for me is one I should have expected, but didn’t: vertigo.
Over the last few years, I’ve become more prone to motion sickness and vestibular migraine attacks, which cause vertigo. And, unfortunately, the walking pad can trigger these symptoms for me, especially when getting off the treadmill at the end of a walk.
Doperak confirms this is a relatively common issue that people may experience with all treadmills and walking pads. It can cause symptoms like dizziness, headache and nausea, she says. But the specific symptoms and triggers vary widely from person to person.
“It’s a matter of trial and error and figuring out what you can and cannot do,” she says. If you feel motion sickness while on your mini treadmill, Doperak recommends getting off, drinking water and taking some time to recover, then reflecting on what may have triggered your symptoms. Reading or typing while walking can be an issue for some people, for example.
Over the course of year, I’ve found some ways to manage this. For one thing, it helps to stay very well hydrated (my Stanley mug never leaves my side), to not force myself through a migraine attack just to hit a step goal and to give myself at least 2 minutes at the end of a walk to gradually slow down my pace.
The trick that’s made the biggest difference for me is just keeping my eyes forward and resisting the urge to look to my sides while walking.
If you also experience motion sickness or have any balance issues, you may want to look for a walking pad that comes with handrails. (Some models are convertible, so you can choose to put them up or down.) Or take care to set yours up in an area that gives you something to grab onto when you need it, which is what I do with my standing desk.
The only issue I’ve had with the walking pad itself was that the belt shifted about half an inch to the right after a month of consistent use. I looked at the instructions that came with the Redliro mini treadmill, which directed me to video instructions online.
Turns out, all I needed to do was let the walking pad run on its own at 3 mph for a few minutes and that solved the problem. After a year, this does still happen after every walk. After some reading, I've come to the conclusion that it's a combination of the way I walk (probably due to those aforementioned nerve issues) and my ancient uneven hardwood floor.
But this is still the only problem I've had with the walking pad, which is pretty impressive to me.
What to know before you buy a walking pad
Before you spend money on a walking pad, the experts suggest thinking through these points:
Know what you’re getting.
A walking pad isn’t a replacement for a full-on cardio workout.
“I wouldn’t really rely on it as your main source of exercise,” Nelson says. “It’s really supplemental to get steps in,” he explains, “and it can also serve as an active recovery to kind of flush out the system (after a hard workout).”
Start using it gradually.
If you’re new to walking for an extended period of time or haven’t done much physical activity for a while, you may feel sore.
“I tell people to start where (they) are,” Doperak says, “and that’s different for each of us.” If you can only walk for 5 minutes at a time, start there, a few times a day, she says.
People who are more physically active may be able to walk on a mini treadmill for an hour or two a day without issues. Even then, Nelson recommends splitting that hour up into a few walks throughout the day to start.
And if you’re entirely new to walking on a treadmill, “start at a pace that’s a little slower than you would normally walk at,” Nelson says. “Humble yourself. Walk slower and get used to it before you increase the speed.”
Be aware of safety concerns.
If you're new to walking on a treadmill or have any balance concerns, make sure to your first walk on the mini treadmill is in a low-stakes situation. You don’t want to get motion sickness in the middle of your big meeting.
Wear proper footwear.
I, like too many people, am guilty of hopping on the walking pad in my socks. But the experts insist that's a terrible idea.
“Pay attention to what you have on your feet,” Nelson urges.
You should wear the kind of supportive sneakers that they’d be wearing for any other kind of walk to avoid injuries.
You’ll probably have to track yourself.
Walking pads tend to be pretty basic when it comes to keeping track of your miles walked, calorie output and other metrics. So you may need to invest in some sort of tracking device, Doperak says, like a smartwatch.
If you, like me, are motivated by those metrics, know that your fitness tracker may not match up perfectly with what you see on your walking pad's display.
You should still opt to walk outside whenever possible.
A walking pad can help you get steps, but there are still so many benefits to walking outside, the experts say. And it's worth taking advantage of them whenever you can.
When you’re walking outside, you’re naturally walking at a more varied pace, stride length and level of incline, Doperak says. And you’re getting the benefits of simply being outdoors.
“It’s always still good to go outside,” Nelson agrees. “You want to look at different buildings, trees, birds, everything. That’s going to be healthier for you than just looking at a screen all day.”
But, any activity is better than none, the experts say. So if a walking pad helps you get moving, that’s a huge win.
