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I picked a really bad time to develop a love for walking, as 2025 is a ridiculously busy year for game releases. Not only do I now have massive RPGs like The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered making a comeback and Expedition 33 glaring at me from my Steam library, but the Switch 2 will soon arrive to bully my backlog further. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I decided to show my time-consuming hobby who’s boss by putting together a walking pad gaming desk setup.
I review the best gaming desks for a living, and they usually come with standing functionality. While I’ve messed around with playing shooters like Overwatch 2 on my feet, I usually end up either back in my seat or trading my nightly gaming sessions for a stroll in the great outdoors. As much as I love getting outside, I’d also like to not trade time in worlds like Tamriel to squeeze in exercise, so I started thinking about how I could mash both activities into one.
Now, the idea of completely swapping going outside for walking your way through a 100+ hour RPG is a bit too Ready Player One for my liking. But, in the name of actually getting enough playtime so my gamer card isn’t revoked, I currently have a Flexispot Under Desk Treadmill parked under an E7 Plus standing desk. I’ve been living out my cardio gaming fantasies (nightmares) for a month now, and the result is a setup that caters to my step count and playtime figures.
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The idea of picking up a walking pad specifically for gaming originally popped into my head back in January. I’m Scottish, but even I struggle motivating myself to head outside when the unforgiving cold weather sets in. At the same time, I get really overstimulated when it’s toasty out there, and I always find myself thinking it’d be nice to enjoy a jaunt in a world where temperatures aren’t there to torment me.
That's effectively how I ended up down the walking pad rabbit, and my only real requisites were to find one that’s well-made and robust enough to put up with me using it daily, but compact enough to slide out of the way for when it’s time to kick back. Just like when using standing desks, I don’t plan on permanently staying on my feet, and the whole aim is to be able to ditch my chair for another before parking my keester back down where it arguably belongs.
Flexispot’s Under Desk Treadmill fits this bill in multiple ways, but I was initially nervous about its weight. The walking pad features a metal frame and some plastic at the top, and while that grants it a solid feel, it does weigh more than I was expecting. However, it’s also far easier to move around than I’d have guessed when talking it out of the box, as it’s got some handy wheels at the top and is low profile enough to slide up against a wall or further under your desk of choice.
Before I dive into actually using the treadmill while clambering around Cyrodil and fighting the hordes of hell during an hour cardio session in DOOM: The Dark Ages, I want to talk about what it’s living having it in your space. As someone who’s tried to add exercise tools to my gaming setups before, I know too well that having a bulky piece of equipment hanging around with one purpose is a pain. You only need to go to a thrift store and gaze upon its tower of used Wii Fit boards to get what I mean, and having a heavy treadmill should theoretically be worse.
Yet, despite its stature, I tend to forget the treadmill is even there when it’s not in use. I’ve currently got it horizontally against my left-hand wall, which means it's easy to whip it out and roll it under the desk whenever the need for on-the-spot speed arises. But, I’m also aware that if you’ve got a longer desk like the Secretlab Magnus Pro or a wider FlexiSpot E7 Pro, you could slide it directly underneath and keep it completely out of the way.
Tamriel by the mile
Alright, let’s dive into the “playing games while walking” part, as I know you’ll be dying to hear whether I’ve fallen on my backside yet. For the record, I’ve so far managed to stay upright even while spitting my attention between gaming and coordinating my body, which at the best of times feels like piloting an out-of-shape EVA unit. That can absolutely be attributed to some of the treadmill's features, but I’d also argue it's easier than you’d think to both exercise and chip away at most outings for an extended period.
Unlike the treadmill at your local gym, this under-desk pad primarily uses a wireless remote instead of a big control panel. It feels like an obvious feature, but one I’m grateful for since it means I can adjust speed settings as well as start and pause movement using one hand. I typically keep the controls around my wrist using the included strap, but you could also just plop it down on your surface within reach if you’re the sort of revel who didn’t use a WiiMote strap back in the day.
Now, there should be a magnetic pad on the treadmill for fixing the remote when not in use, but despite the prominent sticker on the front panel, I’ve yet to figure out how to get it to stick. I’m unsure if this is a flaw or if I’m missing a trick, so it’s worth keeping in mind anyway if you, like me, tend to misplace things daily.
One thing I thought I would have to sacrifice on a more compact treadmill was the option of an incline. I don’t want to say I go hiking, as that makes me sound far cooler than I really am, but I do encounter hills when I venture into the woodlands near my house, and I find it makes for a more effective workout. So, you can imagine how delighted I was to discover flip-out risers under the pad, meaning I can punish my glutes just as much as going to the gym or outside.
As you’d expect, the treadmill features adjustable speeds, and dialling things in to suit your playstyle of choice is vital. I’ve been switching between using a mouse and keyboard and a PC controller, and I’ve found that I can walk at a much faster pace with a gamepad in hand. The pad can ramp up to 5 Kph, which feels more like power walking than a casual stroll. I find that around 3 Kph works well for a quick session in shooters like DOOM: The Dark Ages, whereas I’m more comfortable using a controller when properly trying to build up a sweat.
In larger trips like Oblivion, I find that walking at a slower pace makes more sense. It’s easy to get caught up doing side quests or just doing a bit of sightseeing in Cyrodil, and I’m happy spending a bit longer spreading my 10K steps when given a greater purpose than travelling to the supermarket for sweet treats. The treadmill does have a timer that’ll help you keep track, and while I’m skeptical over whether the calorie counter is remotely accurate, that’ll also inform you on how much hunting down a Daeric prince can potentially burn off.
My other unlikely exercise game right now is Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, and while I’ve heard plenty of folks complain about the French RPG’s turn-based mechanics, they make for a perfect activity when walking at a pace. It takes used to moving any character on screen while also moving your feet, but navigating menus and parrying is a bit easier than intense action-based battles using a D-pad or trying to coordinate your digits for keyboard shortcuts.
One thing I do want to point out is that the faster you go, the louder the treadmill's brushless motor will be. It’s not aggressive by any means, and it’s not going to pierce through a gaming headset or speakers at a higher volume. In truth, I’ve been more irritated using a gaming handheld under load since the Steam Deck OLED can sound like a jet plane depending on how hard you punish it.
On that note, I’ve also been using handhelds while on this treadmill. Yes, using more fragile portables on exercise equipment is precarious, so I’d take extra care to make sure you don’t drop your device of choice, But, there’s something nice about playing games on a mobile device that feels quite natural, and it stops me reaching for my phone for some endless TikTok scrolling.
Walking while you play keeps the backlog at bay
My own experience-based ramblings aside, is it actually worth using a walking pad at your gaming desk? So far, I have found that it has helped me better hit my ten thousand steps a day goals while not sacrificing those sweet, sweet hours grinding in RPGs and shooters. I’m personally still dialing in the right speed for each of my go-to adventures and figuring out whether I prefer a gamepad or mouse and keeb, but I can imagine keeping the treadmill as part of my setup long term.
Put it this way, it’s so effective that I posted about joining my local gym. At the same time, I’m still regularly going on real walks outside, and I find that spending some time on the treadmill, tackling my Steam backlog, makes for a really nice secondary burst of physical exercise in my day.
As for what walking pad is the right one for the job, I’ve been getting on really well with Flexispot’s Under Desk Treadmill. If you’re pretty into the brand’s stuff, there are a few different options with varying specs and designs (including a woodgrain model that I’m now upset I don’t have.) But, there are also options at Amazon for under $100 that could help you test a similar setup out for less.
Putting together a new setup? Swing by the best gaming chairs for something to kick back on. Alternatively, take a peek at the best gaming monitors for a range of excellent screens.
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