I tried a walking pad for a month – here’s what it did for my fitness

Remember those unbearable people who spent the Covid-19 lockdowns counting their steps on a treadmill during Zoom calls while the rest of us baked banana bread, binge-watched Friends and doomscrolled the days away?

Those days might be gone, but those foldable treadmills don’t appear to have gone anywhere. Maybe it’s the winter chill forcing us to bring our daily walks inside, maybe it’s the cost of living causing us to cancel our gym subscriptions – but in 2024, walking pads seem to be as popular as ever. Think of the “cosy cardio” trend, where people are encouraged to pop on their comfiest pyjamas, grab a hot drink and hop on a walking pad at home.

In New Zealand, Google Trends data shows a steady increase in search interest in at-home treadmills over the past few years.

For example, New Zealand retailer Mighty Ape has seen an 185% increase in page views for walking pad products in June 2024 alone, compared to June 2023. It also saw sales of walking pads increase by 270% that same month compared to June 2023, while 17% of those orders include products like standing desks, laptop risers or exercise mats.

We all know how good cardio is for us, but it’s hard to find the time in the day for it sometimes. What could an at-home treadmill do for my wellbeing, and are they worth the investment? I decided to find out.

I let my gym membership lapse a couple of years ago and now do at-home pilates workouts, as well as regular walks around my neighbourhood; I have rheumatoid arthritis in my knees, so HIIT-style workouts aren’t exactly for me.

I’ll admit that even in an Auckland winter it can be hard to get outside for a walk after work, so I welcomed the chance to get some steps in from the comfort of my living room.

What is a walking pad?

Designed for walking rather than running, walking pads are usually smaller, shorter and lighter than the treadmills you’d find in the gym.

They typically have a lower maximum speed than regular treadmills and fewer settings, such as an incline. In New Zealand, there are a range of foldable treadmills available for anywhere from under $400 to over $1000 from retailers such as Mighty Ape, Torpedo7, Harvey Norman or specialist exercise equipment stores.

Some models are hands-free, some have a collapsible bar to hold on to if you need it. This particular model – the Ape Style FX1800* from Mighty Ape – has one of those bars, which folds up and clicks into place. It features different speed settings similar to those you’d find on a treadmill in the gym and slides easily under the couch.

Over the next few weeks, I hop on the treadmill during the day while working from home, or after work when I get home from my commute. I don’t have a daily step target; I simply try to fit in a walk where I can, whether that’s while taking a phone call, waiting for dinner to heat up, or for the length of an episode of a TV show.

Admittedly, I use it more in my downtime rather than while working, especially when it’s raining outside – so I can no longer use the weather as an excuse not to get moving.

After a few weeks, I can confirm that it’s helped me conveniently fit more cardio into my day. Rather than just being mentally worn out at the end of the day, I’m also physically tired, which I’ve found helps me fall asleep more quickly.

So far, so worth it.

But the other big question is this: Will a walking pad make a difference to your overall level of fitness?

Will a home treadmill improve your fitness?

Matt Wood, senior lecturer and clinical exercise physiologist at the Auckland University of Technology, says he can see the appeal of a home treadmill lies in the convenience and the cost savings.

Using one is a “supplemental form of physical activity”, he tells the Herald.

“Some of those walking pads don’t necessarily go that quick or don’t necessarily have an incline. So it’s kind of relative to the person using it,” he explains.

“From a physical benefit perspective, you’re trying to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness. Consuming energy at a low intensity is beneficial to a degree, [but] it’s not necessarily, for a good chunk of people, going to provide enough stimulus.

“I’m sure there’s the odd person that would use it quite purposefully like a typical treadmill. But I guess the way it’s marketed to people is probably more around getting your steps in and reducing sedentary activity.”

Wood says it’s important to consider whether a walking pad has a “novelty effect” that might wear off over time, adding that it’s still important to go for walks outside when you can.

“It’s not exactly going to replace the stimulus that you would get outside if you’re walking and the multitude of benefits that you’ll get from that.”

Those benefits include the incline you get from natural hills, social interactions with people the fact that it’s simply good for your mental health to get sun and fresh air.

Wood adds that using a treadmill alone won’t give you the same health outcomes as strength training, and suggests pairing it with some simple at-home exercises, which don’t have to be as intense as they sound.

“You could spend 10 to 15 minutes every second day and maintain some reasonable strength, it’s just that most people think they need to do a ton of exercises, like 12 exercises in the gym or something, and in reality it’s like four exercises that keep you pretty good. It’s just being smart about what you pick,” he explains.

Alongside your workouts of choice, it’s important to maintain your “health fundamentals”, he says – diet, sleep and managing your stress levels.

Which walking pad should I try?

Wood suggests researching different models before you invest in a home treadmill and take safety considerations into account, as not all of them have a handrail.

“When you’re on a treadmill and you’ve got handrails there it gives you a sense of where you are in space … you don’t want that classic gym scenario where the person gets distracted watching something else and then starts going backwards,” he says.

“People will be fine if they have a focal point that’s relative to where they are on the treadmill.”

And if you’re on the taller side, he recommends looking for a longer walking pad. Too short, and you’ll simply walk off the end of the treadmill. If you’re over 6ft tall, look for one that’s at least 150cm long.

“If you’re interested it getting one, cool – just get the right one and just be wary of the safety.”

*The writer was loaned an at-home treadmill for the purpose of writing this piece

Bethany Reitsma is an Auckland-based journalist covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2019. She specialises in telling Kiwis’ real-life stories, money-saving hacks and anything even remotely related to coffee.