I bought a thing this past weekend, an under-the-desk walking pad.
I’m a long-time fan of standing desks but in recent years, through knee surgery, I haven’t used the standing option as much I used to. Lately though I’m back at it
And ever since Emma Donoghue guest-blogged here about her treadmill desk back in 2014, I’ve been wanting to try one out.
Lately, I’ve been reading more and more about the benefits of breaking up your day with short walks. Read here for example. But with my big busy job I can’t always get away from my office.
What’s the difference between a walking pad and a treadmill?
A walking pad is for staying gently active during a workday without breaking a sweat. It’s not that sturdy and can only go at walking pace. Mine has an adjustable incline but you need to adjust it manually.
A treadmill is for actual cardio exercise. If you want to run or get your heart rate up significantly, you need a treadmill not a walking pad.
But if like me, you just want to avoid sitting for 8 hours straight, a walking pad does the job nicely — and fits easily under a standing desk.
Also, there’s the not-so-small matter of price. My little walking pad was under $200, and treadmills are more like $1000 and up.
Oh, and noise. Walking pads are also much quieter than full-on treadmills— a real office consideration.
How am I using it so far? Yesterday I did a mix of standing, sitting and walking. I liked the variety. It’s easy to walk during meetings or when reviewing documents. More serious reading, and definitely writing, require, for me, staying still.
My 2026 word of the year is Expand, and it turns out that includes expanding what counts as movement during a desk-heavy day
How about you? Have you tried one of these things? At home or at the office? What do you make of it?
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