I used a walking pad to walk 10,000 steps a day for a month — here’s what happened

Keeping pace with the latest fitness trends can have many health benefits, as Denise O’Donoghue found out when she invested in a walking pad for her home office

Denise O’Donoghue multitasks by catching up on work emails while exercising on her walking pad. Picture: Chani Anderson

I knew I was part of a growing phenomenon when the delivery driver knocked and announced this was the third one he had delivered so far that day and was averaging three or four drop-offs of the same large box daily around Cork.

Walking pads – a lighter, more easily stowed away version of a treadmill – have been creeping into my consciousness for quite a while now, thanks to TikTok. 

I first noticed more videos of them appearing last year on my ‘For You Page’ (FYP), with people – usually women – using them at standing desks in their homes to reach their step count during their working day.

I’ve always loved walking and I walk our dog, a collie named Milly, daily. A walking pad was not a necessity for me as getting out for a stroll never feels like a chore with a happy madra. 

If anything, I thought I’d feel like a hamster on a wheel if I used a walking pad while working.

It wasn’t until late last year when the evenings were dark and gloomy and the rain seemingly incessant (and my average walking distance dropped accordingly), that a new type of video appeared on my FYP. 

Dubbed ‘cosy cardio’, I saw people creating inviting atmospheres in their homes to use their walking pads, strolling while a comfort show played on a nearby screen – think ’90s romcoms, guilty-pleasure reality shows, or a nostalgic TV series. 

Now, this was a fitness trend I could get behind, I realised. I started to wonder if I might use a walking pad after all. After deliberating for a few weeks, I bought one in January.

With just over 15 million results for ‘walking pads Ireland’ on a Google search, the choices available seem never-ending. However, I bought mine from homefitnesscode.com after seeing favourable reviews. 

The walking pad comes in two colour choices – I opted for a fun pink rather than the black option – and it cost me a little over €200. 

The instructions were few, but it’s easy to use. There’s a switch to power it up, and a remote control to turn it on and choose a speed setting. I usually linger around 5.5 or 6.0, allowing me to walk at a comfortable pace for a long time.

Stepping up

On the go.

I’m not the only walking pad owner in my circles. Two of my co-workers have also made the leap, with both finding physical and mental benefits to having one. Like me, journalist Michelle McGlynn learned about walking pads through TikTok.

“I am very easily influenced. When I started to see walking pads appearing all over TikTok and Instagram, I was immediately intrigued but wasn’t quite ready to fork out for one. Then friends of mine bought them and seemed happy with their purchase so I gave in,” she says.

“I have had mine about a month and I’m delighted with it so far. As someone who does shift work and is probably at my most energetic at about 9pm, it has been great to be able to get in some cardio at times that suit me. 

I don’t need to worry about the weather or whether I will be safe if I’m exercising early in the morning or late at night. The freedom feels great. I stick something on the TV or just scroll on my phone and don’t even notice the time go by.”

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Assistant editor David O’Mahony, meanwhile, was converted to walking pads at a much earlier stage and has felt the long-term benefits.

“I got a walking pad toward the end of the lockdown and it is permanently under my standing desk in our home office,” he says over email, as he literally walks the walk and talks the talk.

“I’ve definitely found it burns off a bit of general frustration, but once I started strapping my Fitbit to my ankle, I found it dramatically increased my steps per day - it can easily get up over 14,000 if I’m diligent. My posture and general fitness are better.

“The main trick was teaching myself to type while going at about 4km — but that’s how fast I’m going as I write this.”

I find walking helps my creative thinking, and thought if I could do both while working, the outcome would surely be better quality work. It may seem as impossible as patting your head while rubbing your stomach, but I found typing and walking on the pad simultaneously to be very doable.

Health benefits

Irish Examiner journalist Denise O’Donoghue puts a walking pad under her standing desk. Picture Chani Anderson

Walking has a wide-ranging list of health benefits and Cork fitness trainer Ray Lally – aka The Happy Fitness Guy – says he is a big fan of walking pads.

“The advantages of walking slowly while doing other things [like working from home or watching television] are huge. It keeps the body moving which is great,” he says. 

“It helps the body operate better because you’re getting the blood flowing, building muscle, building cardio, getting your brain functioning better. Especially if you’re working from home, that could help to improve your immune system overall, and it boosts your mood.”

With so many benefits, Lally says walking is one of the best forms of exercise. “The healthiest thing you can do is consistently walk more and more. I love it.”

While standing desks have become de rigueur, recent research in Canada indicates that walking desks could significantly impact mental health, improving mood and lowering stress levels in the workplace. In addition, sitting for long periods has been linked to issues including diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality.

With that in mind, I was eager to increase my body’s movement for those long-term gains.

To get the full benefit of the walking pad and to make sure I would actually remember to use it, I set myself a challenge for the first month: aim for around 10,000 steps a day, either with or without the walking pad. 

It’s not a static goal, though. I know that forcing myself to reach that target on busier days would be off-putting while on sunny spring days, I can easily hit 15,000 or 16,000 steps with the dog. 

I knew if I forced myself to walk indoors on those sunny days it would feel like a chore and that is exactly the feeling I wanted to avoid.

Lally agrees the less pressure we put ourselves to hit a certain goal or target, the better and we should listen to our bodies.

“Anything is better than nothing, 100%. I think the 10,000-step goal is a vague target. I wouldn’t be disappointed at all if I got to less than that. 

Don’t beat yourself up over it, it’s just a target to keep moving. Don’t be disappointed if you’re not reaching certain goals.”

Lally’s positive attitude reflects my own approach to increasing my steps with the walking pad: a 10,000-step goal is a great target, but 5,000 steps are a worthy achievement too. 

More often than not, I reached my target, but on busier days I was not disappointed — my average walking range was still higher than the previous month and I could feel the results mentally and physically.

For the first week, I felt the increase in movement in my now-sore muscles and looser-feeling lower back. Although I was already an active person, it surprised me when my legs and back were aching by the end of each day. 

However, by week two, those niggles faded and I noticed I had increased stamina for longer walks, as well as more energy throughout the day. On top of this, I was sleeping better and I felt well rested when my alarm went off each morning.

The biggest surprise came at the end of the third week. I spent most of one day with my family, not moving much and enjoying a lovely dinner. When I got home that evening, 

I felt such a strong need to go for a walk it can only be described as a craving. Despite challenging myself only to ensure I used my new walking pad regularly, my body became hooked on walking 10,000 steps along the way.

It’s safe to say after this that my walking pad won’t meet the same fate as the exercise bike-shaped clothes horse that haunts the spare room.

This article was first published on April 19, 2024