‘I Tried Using a Walking Pad for 30 Days-Here Are My Honest Thoughts'
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As a health writer, I am acutely aware of the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Every month, I write stories in which cardiologists, personal trainers and primary care doctors emphasize the importance of movement beyond planned exercise. More than a decade ago, the American Heart Association pointed out the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, including increased risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease.
In the advisory, the American Heart Association noted that U.S. adults spend six to eight hours daily sitting and defined this as part of a sedentary lifestyle. Ironically, all of the time that I spend writing about the importance of movement is spent sitting. Once I file one story, it's usually onto the next.
I am keenly and personally aware of how devastating heart disease can be. My paternal grandfather died of a heart attack, and my father needed two heart transplants during his lifetime. My gene pool isn't the best, and my day job, while it pays the bills (and covers my yearly cholesterol tests), doesn't meet my movement needs. I work from home, so I don't even have to dash to the train station or the parking lot to the door to clock in on time. My desk is less than a football field from my bedroom.
I exercise daily, incorporating at least 30 minutes of cycling or running six days per week, plus five to six strength-training sessions. Still, it's possible to maintain a sedentary lifestyle even if you meet the AHA's weekly guidance of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, plus two strength-training sessions. I'm living proof, but I'd like to do what I can to protect myself against the risks of sitting too much, including heart disease, weight gain, cancer, diabetes and premature death.
About two years ago, I started seeing videos of influencers on walking pads-AKA slower-moving treadmills. They were working from home, watching a show or reading. I was intrigued, but turned off by the $500 sticker prices. Instead, I watched with FOMO. When my Parade editor offered me the chance to try the trend and increase my time moving, I jumped at it.
After unboxing my walking pad, I was a bit disappointed at first, but I tweaked my plans, and everything changed. Here's my honest review of what it's like to use a walking pad for 30 days.
How Using a Walking Pad Started
I knew that the challenge of using a walking pad for 30 days would force me to rethink my sedentary habits. I received a Merach MR-T27 walking pad in May. (Full disclosure: It was complimentary, but the company didn't pay me to write this review.)
When the pad arrived on my doorstep, I was pumped and eager to unbox it. Despite all of my strength training, I have to be honest, it was heavy. My husband lugged it in. From there, it was actually pretty easy to move around because of the wheels. It fit nicely under our bed, and I was able to wheel it into the kitchen, which I figured would double as a walking desk.
It was also a cinch to use. All I had to plug it in and use a remote to increase the speed (the maximum was four miles per hour) and incline (12% maximum).
I originally planned to spend two hours per day (one hour at a time) working while walking on the pad. I had to abandon that immediately. After one hour on the pad, I felt so motion sick. It was also pretty awkward to try to type and walk at the same time. I'm just not that coordinated. I would've given it more of a college try, but the motion sickness was a dealbreaker.
In a moment of serendipity, I flipped on Forever 35, a favorite podcast, the next day. Manoush Zomorodi was a guest. She spoke about her new book, Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, which details how just five minutes of gentle movement every 30 minutes could improve your health, including blood sugar and blood pressure management. Yet, she said that some people may choose different intervals and still see some benefits.
That sounded great to me. I had a new plan: Walk for at least five minutes on the pad once every hour. I would not work while doing it.
Here's what happened next.
What Happened When I Used a Walking Pad for 30 Days
Working while walking on a pad was not for me. But using it for five minutes an hour absolutely was. Here are the physical, mental and cognitive changes I noticed after using a walking pad to break up my workday for 30 days. Here's what I noticed:
- My step count soared. I averaged nearly 800 more steps per day in May than in April, inching my count closer to 9K. There are a lot of different ranges for the "ideal" step count goal, from 2,337 steps to lower cardiovascular death risk to 7,000 steps for your overall health. Either way, I'll take it as a win.
- My mood and energy improved. Sitting all day makes me tired and blah. Ironic, right? Moving for just five minutes every hour made me happier during the day and even when I shut down for the evening. I felt more accomplished because I took breaks.
- I was more creative and focused. Speaking of productivity, I recently wrote a story on the importance of taking a lunch break for your creativity. As I wrote about how breaks help the brain reset attention and consolidate information, I ate my lunch. Ironic, right? I am humbled-yet happy-to announce that I experienced less writer's block and was far less tempted to scroll through social media instead of working on stories. It helped me finish up to an hour earlier on some days.
- My posture and stiffness got better. Taking breaks every hour forced me to reposition my head and back, so I experienced far less neck and lower-back pain.
- I missed walking outside. Doing the walking pad daily meant I walked less outside. I'm an outdoorsy woman and enjoy looking at nature as I move, especially in mild weather (and the weather was mostly mild in May). I did less of that when I walked on the pad.
Related: Here's Exactly What Happens to Your Body if You Run a Mile Every Day
My Tips for People Interested in Using a Walking Pad
I'm not a personal trainer or doctor, but I am someone who adores movement and is always trying to improve her health. After using a walking pad for 30 days, I'd love to offer some tips for people considering one.
- Do what works for you. There are many ideas for what an "optimal" routine on a walking pad looks like. In my case, I could not mimic influencers and work on a walking pad. That's OK. I found what worked for me and enjoyed the physical and mental changes that came with it.
- Drink water. Walking may not look like a lot, but it's a physical activity, especially if you're moving at a brisk pace. Be sure to hydrate-I drank about 12 ounces of water more per day because of my added movement. There's no set amount of water everyone needs to drink per day, but people who are physically active often need more.
- Stretch. Changing positions by walking is great, but again, it's still movement. Some gentle hamstring, quad and glute stretches before and after a workout can make sure that you don't get "benched" by tweaking something on a walking pad.
Related: I've Been Walking With a Weighted Vest for Months-Here's How It's Worked for Me
Is a Walking Pad Worth It?
I plan to continue using a walking pad, but I'll incorporate more outdoor movement during the summer months (as long as it's not scorching). I see it becoming a regular part of my daily routine when it's freezing out again. Still, it inspired me to move for five minutes hourly-I plan to keep that habit.
A walking pad is worth it if:
- You have a desk job and work from home
- Have space (see the size before purchasing, and ensure you know where to put it)
- Want to increase your movement (and experience the health benefits that come with it)
- Feel sore after sitting all day
It may not be for you if:
- You have an underlying condition (check with your doctor first)
- Get motion sickness (you may be able to use it if you aren't reading or typing, though)
- You don't have room
- You have an active job
- You never work from home and spend most of your time out and about
Now, don't mind me as I take five.
Up Next:
Related: ‘I Took a Shot of Olive Oil Every Day for 2 Weeks-Here's My Verdict on if It's Worth It'
Sources:
- American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. American Heart Association.
- Sedentary Behavior and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks. KJFM.
- Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Cross-Over Trial. ACSM.
- Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet.
- The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
- Water and healthier drinks. CDC.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 1:25 PM.