Are walking pads worth it? I swapped my outdoor walks for treadmill strolls for 3 weeks to find out

As an outdoor enthusiast, I always prefer fresh air to an indoor workout, but seeing videos of countless women walking their way to 10,000 steps without leaving the house had me wondering - are walking pads worth it?

Given that you'd never catch me on a treadmill at the gym, I was sceptical at first. I love pulling on my best walking shoes and exploring peaks, hills, and parks around where I live. The idea of spending more time than I need to inside didn't exactly fill me with excitement.

Yet, 10 minutes into trying a walking pad for the first time, I had the sudden urge to attempt my best catwalk strut on an early morning walk in my living room.

Are walking pads worth it?

Was it the most scintillating walk I'd ever been on? No. However, over the three weeks, I found the walking pad to be a convenient way to get 10,000 steps in at home. I could multitask with work for a few minutes at a time and ease my daily stress through movement, without having to go outside to battle the elements, which became a welcome opportunity as the weather started to turn.

A walking pad is a small treadmill designed to help you stay active at home. It's slimmer and less cumbersome than the classic running treadmills you might find in a gym, although some models come with bars for added stability, and most will have incline settings.

While it has its downsides, just like anything else, it's designed to be packed up and folded away when not in use, making it suitable for smaller spaces, such as living rooms, home offices, and bedrooms.

Benefits of using a walking pad

1. Walking pads are easy to set up

The Citysports Treadmill(£199.99 on Amazon), which I used for my three-week trial, was just the right size for my small terraced house. It could not have been easier to set up, either. I plugged it in, flicked the pad switch, and was ready to start walking in minutes. At 17kg, it's not the lightest piece of workout equipment I've had at home, but given my years in the gym, I didn't find it too much of a struggle.

To start the treadmill, I pressed the button on a small remote, which I wore around my wrist. Three beeps sound before the treadmill begins moving slowly. I used the remote to adjust the speed higher and then to wind down my indoor walking workout, and to stop the machine entirely.

Although this treadmill reaches 6km per hour, I found a comfortable range with 3.5km to 4.5km per hour.

It was also impressively quiet. I did not have to shout over it, and it did not disrupt anyone else, even on the higher settings.

2. You don't have to leave the house to get your steps in

The great appeal of a walking pad is that you don't have to leave the house to get your steps in. I fit my steps in on the walking pad before breakfast, while waiting for a delivery in the afternoon, watching television in the evening, and chatting to friends and family on the phone.

The shortest walk was while I waited for the kettle to boil, and the longest was while watching an episode of Bridgerton on Netflix.

Living in England, the weather turns from sunshine to rain at the drop of a hat. I have to admit that having a way to get my steps in and do some cardio without having to step out into the autumn weather is an exciting prospect.

3. Forces you to take a break when busy

I found the walking pad particularly useful on busier days. Being a keen hiker, I try to hike every day, but sometimes even walking for 30 minutes a day isn't possible - let alone anything longer. Having the walking pad there helped me get my steps in even when I was too busy to take a real break.

Intermittently spending five or 10 minutes on the walking pad between tasks (also known as exercise snacking) also meant I hadn’t seized up by the time I shut my laptop.

Walking pads have grown in popularity in recent years - no doubt prompted by the cosy cardio trend, the vast number of people working from home (surveys suggest 81% of us spend at least four hours sitting down when working at home), and the impact of social media. #Walkingpad has an impressive 153K posts on TikTok alone, with thousands of people of all ages taking on this convenient, cost-effective, and accessible form of exercise.

"They are a great tool if you're stationary for most of the day or have an office job and have to be at a desk, as they can help you incorporate more movement into your day," says Georgie Spurling, an experienced PT and founder of wellness app ARVRA.

4. Walking is a type of LISS exercise

"Walking is a fantastic, accessible form of LISS (low impact steady state) exercise, so it offers the benefits of strength and cardiovascular training by getting your heart rate up and kick-starting the lymphatic system," says Spurling.

"At the same time, it offers minimal injury risk, gentle on your joints and your stress hormones,” she adds. A recent world-first study by Macquarie University also revealed that walking for lower back pain can be hugely beneficial.

It's a great way to slow down your mind and boost your mood too, she notes. "Even a daily 15-minute walk can be extremely beneficial. Listen to soothing music as you walk or try walking meditation to better deal with stress."

5. Burn calories

It didn't take long to see how you do walking for weight loss with a walking pad. For me, the chance to get active throughout the day was the main driver to have the mini treadmill, but for those looking to lose weight, it's certainly something to consider.

For example, in 20 minutes I averaged 2,134 steps (124 calories) and 4,538 steps (261 calories) in 45 minutes, according to my fitness tracker.

A recent study in BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation also found that a 12-week treadmill walking program, alongside a consistent diet, improved body composition and cardiometabolic factors in older adults, as well as "notable" improvements in liver function.

Disadvantages of using a walking pad

• Multitasking can be difficult: I admire those who are tapping away at their laptops while on a walking pad. I couldn't hack it for more than a few minutes at a time. Typing and walking together is a real skill.
• Limited speed and incline: Take the walking pad I used - it has a top limit of 6km/h and a 10% incline, which will be limiting for those who can walk faster or want to do a particular workout (such as the 12-3-30).
• Less stable than treadmills: If you have the space and budget to spend, I'd recommend getting a treadmill over a walking pad. They offer more stability with guardrails and handles, and the actual pad is likely to be wider.
• Expense: Buying a walking pad is an investment, even if you go for the cheaper options, which range from about £100 to £200. I'd say it's worth considering whether you actually need one or whether an outdoor walk would be just as easy.

Is using a walking pad as effective as walking outdoors?

A walking pad can be just as effective as a walking workout outdoors when it comes to getting your steps in to boost heart health or to lose weight. However, there are some cases where it's better to go outside.

"Mentally, you're missing out on the benefits of green and blue space, fresh air, and vitamin D, as well as time away from a screen," says Spurling. “Also, when you walk outside, the ground is uneven, which tests your stability and activates your core muscles, which you don’t get when walking on a flat treadmill. Yes, [the walking pad is] exercise, but you’re not reaping all the benefits compared to walking outside, so I suggest using it as a tool if you are stationary."

I agree, completely. A walking pad is a handy way to stay active when you might otherwise remain sedentary, but it is not a substitute for the holistic benefits of walking in nature if you have access to them instead.