Maximum Steppage

One of the best purchases Peter and I made together was our espresso set up. It has not only saved us tons of money on going out for coffee, but we’ve also been able to experiment with a variety of flavors that can be hard to find outside of specialty shops. Trying new or exotic beans has been a fun endeavor. The set up has undoubtedly had a very good return on investment, and I only regret not taking the plunge sooner.

A few years ago, I bought a walking pad for $300 right before starting my fellowship at UCSD. The COVID pandemic left an enduring impact on psychiatry training with a significant portion of it being done virtually. This was no different at UCSD—whereas all of my clinical training would be in-person, my didactic learning would be virtual. I thought this would be a great opportunity to utilize a walking pad. After all, if I was going to be home watching lectures and only intermittently participating, there wasn’t any drawback. Specifically, I got a walking pad that folds in half for easy transport and relocation. I wanted something that could slide beneath my standing desk and then removed for when I sit down in a chair and want maximal leg room.

As it turned out, I barely used the walking pad that year. Much of our didactic lectures which I had assumed would take place online turned out to be in-person. I enjoyed that experience thoroughly, but it left my walking pad sad and forgotten. I utilized it maybe only a handful of times. Aside from scheduling, I was already getting plenty of steps between walking to and from my gym everyday. There just wasn’t a need anymore. I finished my year at UCSD with my walking pad in near mint condition.

My mother, upon seeing the unused walking pad, asked me if she could have it so she could get some additional steps at home. She’s been on a health kick over the past few years, namely with walking and green (borderline medicinal) smoothies. I gave her my walking pad as moving from San Diego to my new apartment in Brea, I would have no room or need for it anymore. Not to mention, my apartment then had a gym with treadmills. Lo and behold, the walking pad collected dust in my parents’ patio space where they keep warehouse amounts of Costco supplies. My mom cast the walking pad to the same fate that I had. She was getting enough steps in the mornings, now averaging 4 miles per day with my dad!

I eventually repossessed the walking pad and brought it to my current apartment here in Westminster with Peter. Throughout 2025 and especially in 2026, it has received much more use. Peter and I continued to have our morning and nightly walks outside to enjoy fresh air, but we have been using the walking pad to supplement. With the amount of time we spend indoors to work from home, it has been a godsend. Even on days where I work in-person, I still come home to utilize it as I study Vietnamese, listen to audiobooks, or watch YouTube while getting steps in. Peter uses it similarly throughout the day. Thanks to the walking pad, it has made our goal of consistent 10k steps much more achievable thus far.

The initial investment was a little expensive, especially for a device that I rarely touched. But as of late, we have been seeing a great return on investment. It’s one of those unassuming items that has provided so much value to our lives. Though it took a little of trial and error to figure where it fits into our lives and how to consistently use it, we’ve found it worthwhile. It now sees use on a near daily basis with 2 hours per day on average, so it’s cost per use value is astronomical. Peter and I are not trying to over-do this walking habit, especially since 7k per day appears to be the sweet spot for health benefits. We walk, however, to give ourselves a little more allowance in the foods we eat. Given that many activities we already engage in can be done while walking, why not reap the benefits of both?

Standing desks and walking pads skyrocketed in popularity over the pandemic as people transitioned to working more from home and were seeking ways to incorporate healthier habits. It’s interesting to see that trend decline, even though working from home is still very much a common occurrence. Maybe everybody already owns these products and so discussion around them naturally declined? We don’t think that’s the case, but would love to hear your thoughts! Personally, I’d like to see offices fitted with walking pads as well to encourage more people who are otherwise shackled to their desks.

There are some practitioners in the mental health space who would talk with their clients or patients while walking. I’ve seen or heard of this done in person (think: walking appointments to share fresh air with your therapist), but many providers also may be walking while speaking with their client over the phone or video. That’s something I am not currently doing for a variety of reasons, but I do wish it was more normalized. Why spend time preaching about healthier habits when we can directly engage and encourage people during the appointment itself?

This is all to say that the walking pad is a product, now used and worn, that would be a no-brainer to replace should it break. If you had asked us a year ago, we may have hesitated on our answer. But now, it’s hard to go back. Sure, it does make a little bit of noise (more of a hum) and particle remnants of worn rubber are often sprinkled behind (remedied by a quick vacuum afterward), but those are small inconveniences. We would highly encourage getting one if you work from home or just want to find a way to get more consistent steps in while doing the things you’re likely already doing!