How To Use A Walking Pad, According To Physical Therapists
August 21, 2025 - Korin Miller | Women's Health Magazine
Originally published by Women's Health Magazine on August 21, 2025.
It’s fair to be curious about walking pads when you see yet another TikToker racking up an impressive amount of steps indoors. But aside from hitting your step goal (which might not need to be 10,000 steps a day after all), research has linked sitting on your butt for extended periods to everything from back pain to a shorter lifespan. While hitting buy on Amazon sounds like an easy yes, it’s important to know how to use a walking pad before you just blindly hop on.
As a long-time distance runner, I’ve never loved sitting for long periods at my desk job. Naturally, I gave in to the under-desk treadmill trend. But too much of a good thing comes with consequences. For example, I ended up with new aches and pains when I overdid it. Overuse injuries are possible from using walking pads, especially when you quickly go from sitting to walking all day, says Meg Darmofal, DPT, a physical therapist at Michigan State University Health Care Physical and Occupational Therapy.
Not only that, learning how to use a walking pad effectively can enhance the benefits you’ll ultimately get from your machine, says Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles. With that in mind, we tapped experts for their advice on maximizing your walking pad experience, plus how this all factors into your overall fitness.
How do you use a walking pad effectively?
For starters, the basics of walking still apply. You’ll want to maintain good posture (don’t hunch over your computer) when strolling to lower the risk of back and neck pain, says Dawn Duck, DPT, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health and orthopedic conditions at Top PT in Franklin, Tennessee. While you’re at it, she says wearing proper footwear, like walking shoes or running shoes, is also important to help prevent foot pain and other injuries. While it may be part of your usual workday outfit, “avoid wearing sandals, slippers, or flip-flops,” Duck adds.
Once you’ve got all that squared away, Duck recommends making sure that your walking pad is on a level, stable surface. It’s also crucial to understand the controls and safety features before you dive in.“Begin using your walking pad at a slow speed and start with short sessions to get comfortable,” Duck says. “Maintain proper posture, use the safety features, and take time to explore the settings until you find what works best for you.” And, of course, review the instructions for your walking pad. Each model works differently and has unique features.
How long should you walk on a walking pad?
It depends. It’s easy to look at this as just walking, but remember those overuse injuries I got? I didn’t expect them, either. “Like any type of physical activity, one should walk for a duration that is not an excessive increase in volume from the amount they have been walking prior to receiving the walking pad,” Darmofal says. A good rule of thumb is not to increase mileage by more than 10 percent per week.
If you’re completely new to using a walking pad, she recommends doing shorter walks during the day and then slowly building up how much you do over time. You can try walking for 10 minutes, sitting for 30, walking for another 10, and going from there. As with any exercise regime, Mandelbaum adds it’s crucial to pay attention to how you feel. If you’re having any kind of pain, you’ll want to scale back.
Walking for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week, will help you meet the American Heart Association’s activity recommendations, depending on how fast you go. “These walking sessions don’t need to be continuous—you can split them into shorter bouts,” says Duck. But once you build yourself up to having more movement throughout your day, Mandelbaum says you can walk as much as you want, provided you’re not dealing with any aches. “The more activity you get in terms of duration, intensity, and frequency, the more health benefits you’re going to get,” he says.
Is a walking pad a good workout?
Yes and no. “Walking pads are a good strategy to increase steps in the day, or being on one's feet longer by simply moving,” Darmofal says. But she also points out that this isn’t high-intensity exercise—it’s more focused on getting you moving and logging more steps.
Mandelbaum agrees. “It’s a complementary activity to everything else you’re doing,” he says. “It’s not going to be robust enough to compare to the workout you’d get from doing treadmill intervals.”
But Duck stresses that there’s still value in using a walking pad and points to a small 2023 study published in Occupational Health Science that found that people who used a walking pad while working from home reported physical, mental, social, and work-related perks. “Walking pads do make a meaningful difference in combating the effects of a sedentary lifestyle,” she says.
Is it just as good as walking outside?
If you’re faced with the option to walk outside or use a walking pad, Mandelbaum recommends getting outside. “Walking pads are second-best if you’re comparing the two,” he says. “Exercising outside means you’ve got variation with hills and intensity—it’s more diversified outdoors.” Duck agrees, stating that while both “support cardiovascular, metabolic, mental, and joint health and can lower the risk of chronic illnesses,” exposure to nature can help boost mental health. Walking on a moving belt also requires less effort, adds Darmofal.
But most people use walking pads as a way to get in more steps during the workday, not to replace being outside. And experts say that’s where the value lies. “Walking pads remain a great way to stay active, especially when going outside isn’t practical,” Duck says. “They offer the flexibility of indoor use and eliminate concerns about weather or time of day, making it easier to stick with a regular movement routine no matter your schedule or surroundings.”
What’s the difference between a walking pad and a treadmill?
There are some similarities between these machines, but they’re definitely different. “Treadmills are larger devices with typically a greater focus on design to prioritize higher intensity training, changes in incline or speed, and landing mechanics,” Darmofal says. They also tend to have more safety features, such as handrails and multiple stop buttons, since they’re used at higher speeds, she points out. Walking pads, on the other hand, prioritize walking in place, adds Darmofal.
Meet The Experts
- Dawn Duck, DPT, is a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health and orthopedic conditions at Top PT in Franklin, Tennessee.
- Meg Darmofal, DPT, is a physical therapist at Michigan State University Health Care Physical & Occupational Therapy.
- Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, MD, is a sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles.