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

I'm a great lover of being outside. I'll always choose to pull on my walking shoes and get outdoors over a home workout, even when the weather isn't on my side. But after seeing countless videos of women walking their way to 10,000 steps without leaving the house, I started to wonder: are walking pads worth it?

I set one up in my living room for almost a month, and within the first 10 minutes, I had the sudden urge to attempt my strongest catwalk strut.

Since then, I've tried many of the best walking pads and spent hours testing these minitreadmills to come to one conclusion.

Are walking pads worth it?

Was it the most exciting walk I'd ever been on? No. However, over 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 for those weighing up incline walking vs running.

While it has its downsides, just like anything else, many pads are designed to be packed up and folded away when not in use, making them 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

I used the Citysports Treadmill (£199.99 RRP on Amazon) for my trial, and it 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 to arrange in my house, 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/h, I found a comfortable range of 3.5-4.5km/h. 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 for a workout

The great appeal of a walking pad is that you can do 10,000 steps without leaving the house. I walk on the treadmill before breakfast. I walk on it while waiting for a delivery in the afternoon, watching television in the evening, and even chatting to friends and family on the phone.

The shortest walk I've done 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 think about the weather was refreshing.

3. Forces you to take a break

I found the walking pad particularly useful on busier days. I try to walk outside 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 my hips hadn’t seized up by the time I shut my laptop.

Walking pads have soared in popularity in recent years. No doubt, trends like cosy cardio have prompted this. 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 have no doubt helped, too. #Walkingpad has an impressive 153K posts on TikTok alone. Thousands of women of all ages are 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 low-intensity 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 Georgie.

"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. Burns calories

It didn't take long to see how you do walking for weight loss with a walking pad. For me, the chance to pull on my best workout leggings and get active throughout the day was the main driver to have the mini treadmill. For those looking to lose weight, it's certainly worth considering.

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?

At the end of the day, your body doesn't know if it's walking outside or walking on a treadmill. Your muscles and heart just appreciate the exercise, so when it comes to improving your fitness or boosting cardiovascular health, it's just as effective.

However, your brain does know the difference. There are some cases where it's better to go outside, says Georgie. "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," she says.

“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.

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.