Back when I lived in New York City and commuted to my office by train, I logged 10,000 steps a day without even trying. Honestly, I didn’t get why it was such a struggle for a lot of people. I was young and dumb, and was humbled very quickly when the pandemic hit and I started working from home. Unless I made a big effort to get outside, my step count wasn’t even reaching 500. Then I moved to a suburb that isn’t very walkable, and still worked from home. It dwindled even more.

There are major benefits to moving throughout the day, both for your physical and mental health. But being tied to a desk can make it really hard to move enough, especially without feeling like you’re disrupting your focus. That’s why an under-desk treadmill, or walking pad, feels like a major cheat code.

I’ve been curious about these machines for a while—they’re all over TikTok and Instagram, with fitness influencers sharing the enviable mileage they’ve logged while working. But I was skeptical that I could ever use one and actually get any work done. Watching TV, sure! Writing an article, maybe not.

Steady As She Goes

Testing the WalkingPad C2 changed my mind. Using it with a Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk from Herman Miller, I was able to spend hours of my normal workday walking, without my productivity taking a hit in any way. In fact, I think this thing makes me more efficient.

Photograph: Adrienne So

This tiny tread’s footprint is only 56.9 inches long by 20.4 inches wide and 4.9 inches tall when unfolded, and it snaps in two to become 32.5 inches long and 5.4 inches tall, making it easy to store under a couch or bed. It comes fully assembled, though getting the Bluetooth remote and app to connect with the machine was a struggle initially.

With a lot of trial and error, I got the WalkingPad set up to my liking, and I started using it. You can walk at a speed of 0.5 to 3.7 mph, but you have to walk at slower speeds for a while before you can “unlock” the faster end of the range. I typically walk at 1.5 to 2 mph. You can adjust the speed via the remote or the app, called KS Fit.

You can see how many steps you’ve taken via the app or the display at the front of the machine, which cycles through time, speed, distance, calories, and steps. You can use the pad without the app, but if you don’t start them together, your progress won’t be tracked or logged (it doesn’t sync later).

Photograph: Adrienne So