Over the past two years, walking pads have become increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts in India. Compact, foldable and generally more affordable than traditional treadmills, they offer a convenient way to add more movement to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, whether you’re working from home or catching up on your favourite TV show. However, not all walking pads are created equal, and choosing the wrong one could mean an expensive mistake. In this edition of ‘Before You Buy,’ HT Lifestyle spoke to Ashwini V Rai, fitness expert at Cult Fit, to understand what buyers should consider before investing in a walking pad, from usage and available space to speed, features and individual fitness goals.
Understand what a walk pad is really supposed to do
Ashwini highlighted that unlike treadmills, walk pads are constructed specifically for walking at low speeds. Most walk pads are not created for jogging and running and would not produce satisfactory results for those purposes. If your goal is to get an easy workout for the day or to walk during TV commercials, you should consider purchasing a walk pad. If you need to conduct high-intensity interval work and incline workout, a treadmill will be more appropriate.
