Here’s how I started to walk 90 miles a month as a work from home mom of three gals.
Work in office > work from home
Picture this: you wake up each morning, get ready for work, drop your daughter off at daycare, head to the office for the day, go to meetings, socialize in the kitchen, walk across the office to go to the bathroom, change your work environment to different chairs, tables, and spaces throughout the office a few times each day depending on how you’re feeling, and then you pick up your daughter from daycare and head home for the day.
Then one day, you start to work from home. Your commute consists of the walk from one end of the house to the other. Your bathroom is five steps away and the kitchen is ten. All of your meetings are over Zoom.
I love working from home, but I move very little
Don’t get me wrong. There are soooooo many things that I love about working from home — I don’t have a commute, I can start a load of laundry in the middle of the day or take 10 minutes to prep a crockpot meal, I can wear outfits I probably wouldn’t have worn to the office, I don’t have to pack lunches, my space is my space, and I can take my dog for a walk in the middle of the day. It’s amazing!
But I started to notice that I was getting stir crazy. And lethargic. And hitting a major afternoon crash.
I’m a big believer in the power of movement and my theory was that I was moving so little throughout the day that it was getting to me. The lack of movement was making me more tired and itching to move.
So I started to seriously consider something that I have wanted for years and years (not kidding, I’m a movement huge dork) — a walking pad!
A walking pad changed everything
I ended up buying my walking pad around Black Friday in 2022. I did a ton of research to find one that wasn’t $500, but also wouldn’t break down a month in. That lead me to the SupeRun walking pad. I got it for just over $250 and I haven’t had one issue with it.
I decided to make a rainbow colored spreadsheet to track my mileage throughout the year and challenge myself each month.
p.s. you can download that spreadsheet for free right here!!
After starting off with about 50 miles in December, I went for it. I walked 80.1 miles in January, 80.3 mile in February, and 95.1 miles in March. I’m stoked to hit my first 100 mile month soon and maybe that will become my new normal!
Tips if you want to try a walking pad out
Here are some things to think through if you plan on trying out a walking pad!
- Measure the space you have in your office area. Most walking pads are within a few inches of one another in width and length. Make sure you have enough space in your office to make it feasible.
- Thing through where you will want to move it to when you’re not using it. I pull mine to the side of my desk parallel to our closet, but some people put them upright and against a wall. Totally depends on your space and how often you plan on switching between walking and standing.
- Evaluate your current walking fitness level and decide how you want to start using the walking pad. I was very diligent about checking in with my body and gradually increasing mileage. I have a history of stress fractures in my hips so if I felt anything funky, I stopped for the day. There is nothing good about injurying yourself in the process. Be smart! p.s. I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. Please consult with a medical professional to make sure that a walking pad is a good option for you.
- Look at a couple of walking pad options to find the one that’s right for you. This is the one I have!
Walking pad is my ultimate habit stack
I’m obsessed with my walking pad. Its changed how I feel throughout the workday, it’s changed my workout routine for the better, and it’s allowed me to do the ultimate habit stack. Working and walking at the same time! I highly recommend this as an option for anyone that works a desk job from home. It’s also a great option a busy parent who wants to move while watching a show at night or something like that. It’s the best!
