"Are Walking Pads Trending on TikTok Worth the Purchase?

Though Elena Avo's profession as a software engineer usually keeps her confined to her desk for most of the day, she still manages to get in 10,000 steps—and occasionally even 20,000 steps—before clocking out. When she works from home, according to Avo, she normally walks for an hour or two in the morning before sitting down for lunch and then walking again at 3 p.m. to give herself "that last push of the day."

She uses a walking pad at her desk to complete these steps. She claims that utilizing the machine makes it simpler for her to squeeze a workout into her busy schedule and reduces her feelings of distraction and restlessness while working. It simply makes me feel better.

Since the beginning of the year, the walking pad—a simple treadmill without handrails, tiny enough to fit in a home office—has risen in popularity, with countless internet users boasting about how the device has revolutionized their work-from-home experience. The gadgets are often less powerful than regular treadmills, with many max out at 4 mph walking speeds, and can cost between $200 and $2,000.

Walking pads, like their predecessor, the standing desk, are a response to many people's otherwise sedentary remote-work lifestyles, with users regularly racking up tens of thousands of steps each day simply by strolling during meetings, phone calls, and email writing. They are also less expensive and take up less room than full-size treadmill desks. Some can even be folded up to put away while not in use.

Thalia LeBlanc, a TikTok content maker who's been using her walking pad for six months, said she's "obsessed" with her recent purchase. So much so that her Peloton cycle, like so many others across America, has fallen out of usage.

The walking pad is not a substitute for sweaty gym sessions or high-intensity at-home fitness, but it is an easy method to add some extra activity to your day and combat the well-documented detrimental health impacts of prolonged sitting.

Today's workplace maybe even more sedentary than it was a few years ago. According to Pew Research Center forecasts, a sizable proportion of workers will continue to work from home in 2023. That means no commuting and working from home. Remote work, when compared to typical desk occupations, can pose its own set of health problems, with some research pointing to the possible impact of unsuitable work environments at home, including an increased risk of musculoskeletal difficulties and lower back discomfort among remote employees.

Working from home, on the other hand, provides us with the ability to perfectly optimize our working hours by adding movement and exercise to areas of our day where there was previously none.

"I think it's just a good way to multitask," said Sarah Zimerman, a YouTuber who performs tech and product reviews. She first purchased her walking pad in February to test it out. Zimerman is candid in her review about some of the walking pad's drawbacks, including the sometimes-steep price tag (more than $700 for the model she used), high electricity use that tripped the circuit breaker in her apartment several times, and the faint drone emitted by the motor, which can be distracting at times.

Zimerman, on the other hand, believes her experience has been "great" and has improved her work-from-home experience. LeBlanc claims to have had beneficial health effects from her PCOS, and she credits her walking pad with assisting her in losing 15 pounds in the last six months. Although exercise alone isn't usually enough to assure weight loss, utilizing a walking pad to add a few additional steps throughout the day is another approach to support your efforts.

NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is responsible for a higher percentage of our calorie burn than actual workouts. NEAT activities include doing house chores, standing instead of sitting, gardening, and cooking.

Due to the current work-from-home situation, many people miss out on common NEAT activities such as climbing stairs to attend a meeting or going to the bus stop. A walking pad can help to compensate for this. However, the people I spoke with found the idea of working out while working quite odd and unsettling. Is the walking pad really a solution to our sedentary lifestyle or just a way to squeeze in some exercise? "It almost does feel dystopian," concedes LeBlanc, who prefers her walking pad to walks around her neighborhood. She even positions the pad near her window so she can gaze out at trees and vegetation, creating the sense that she is outside. “I don't think I could walk the same distance without feeling unsafe or too far away from home," LeBlanc added. "I'd rather do it on my walking pad, looking at the nice views while working and being productive."

According to a 2017 report by public health experts, the United States received a "D" grade for "walkable neighborhoods", with only 32% of states meeting the standard. This lack of walkable neighborhoods creates difficulty in achieving the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week in many parts of the country. Moreover, with several cities experiencing triple-digit temperatures and breaking heat records this year, taking a walk outside can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. As a result, many people opt to use new devices to stay entertained at home, and some are using walking pads for exercise after work.

There are several reasons to be dubious of the walking pad's apparent proliferation: TikTok product trends are typically fueled by generous incentives for creators to review, promote, and finally lead viewers to make a purchase. Almost all of the users I found posting about their walking pad experience, including those interviewed for this article, include affiliate links on their page that give them a small percentage of sales when someone buys a walking pad, or they receive free merchandise from brands in exchange for creating videos featuring the products.

It's evident that these videos, and the interest in them, speak to a need that many remote workers have to balance work, safety, comfort, and health.

Finally, the decision to choose a walking pad is determined by your personal tastes and exercise goals. While the TikTok fad may have attracted you to this cutting-edge workout equipment, it's critical to examine your personal requirements, available space, and budget. Walking pads can be a useful addition to your home training program, providing a portable and versatile way to keep active. However, it is critical to conduct research and select a model that meets your needs and provides the characteristics you value the most. Whether you buy a walking pad or look into other fitness options, the objective is to find a sustainable and fun way to include exercise in your everyday life for better health and well-being.