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For so long I felt like I was at war with myself because I was either all in, or all out with exercise. You’d literally either catch me at 6AM before work at a group fitness class that felt more like a rave than lifting weights or legit remaining horizontal for 48 hours straight. Either way you look at it, it felt like an extreme. I lived in polar opposite fitness worlds until I discovered the hot girl walk. And, at the risk of sounding totally cheese-ball, actually felt like I was part of something bigger than myself when I finally learned that walking was exercise too (who would have fucking thought). But, if I’m being honest going on an hour-long walk everyday started to get tedious and while I loved it, I just didn’t have the time (you try finding an hour when your family/husband/dog/kid/coworkers don’t need you for somethingggg).
That’s when I discovered a walking pad.
The promise of maintaining my step count while working or watching TV was more existing to me than Taylor Swift announcing 1989 (Taylor’s version) album release. So, I took the plunge and bought myself what’s essentially a very low-tech treadmill being marketed as a “under-the-desk walking pad.” Whatevs, it’s way less expensive than a real treadmill and it can actually fit under my desk and that’s a win-win in my book. I told myself I’d try it for a week and if I hated it, I’d sell it on FB marketplace (where all great things go to die) — here’s a play-by-play of the week in question.
Day 1: There’s no humiliation quite like your dog staring at you in disbelief when you trip over yourself while walking in place. Let this be fair warning to you all, take it slow. Walking while typing is kind of like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time — harder than it might first appear. But, you get used to it after a while, and I don’t like to brag (much) but I got over 16K steps that day simply by walking and sending emails. *brushes shoulders off*
Day 2: I mistakenly decided to continue to walk during a work meeting. Note to self: it’s not cute to be breathing so heavily while talking to your bosses boss. What can I say? I was working on my fitness. Thankfully it’s super easy to turn on and off and even “pause” during these moments using the handy-dandy remote that comes with it.
Day 3: It’s really hard to believe that you can walk while you’re working and it doesn’t interrupt your flow. I would venture to say that because I’m moving I actually feel a lot less anxious than I normally do (even if it’s cause by the 3.5 iced coffees I’ve had today).
Day 4: A friend came over and saw my work set up and was like, super impressed. I have this standing desk and the walking pad underneath. Needless to say, my ego is larger than it was a week ago.
Day 5: COZY CARDIO EXSITS. I fell into the deepest rabbit hole on TikTok with the “cozy cardio” trend (THANK YOU, @hope_zuckerbrow) . Essentially, you get a cozy cup of coffee, set the lights low and cozy AF, and turn on your fave show/movie/podcast/entertainment and walk while doing something fun and cozy. Did I mention it’s cozy?
@hope_zuckerbrow cozy cardio🫶🏻 #fyp #cardio #cozy #weightloss #walkingpad ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Final verdict: If getting steps and movement throughout the day is important to you, this is 100p worth the investment. If you’re like me and struggle to find time for yourself to move throughout the day, this walking pad is truly incredible and the ultimate multi-tasker (your barre class could never). Also, it’s perfect for the days where you want to binge a new show but don’t want to remain horizontal the entire time. Have yourself a little cozy cardio session — it’s legit become something I actually look forward to on a weekly basis.
