Walking Pad for Apartments: Upstairs Units, Bedsitters and Small Spaces

Using a walking pad in an upstairs apartment

At walking speed (1 to 6 km/h), the noise is close to normal footsteps around a room. Running speeds are louder and more likely to carry through the floor. Most Nairobi apartments have tiled concrete floors, which pass on some footstep impact.

To keep the peace:

1. Put a rubber gym mat or thick rug under the walking pad. This makes the biggest difference.
2. Walk early in the morning and late at night. Save running for the daytime.
3. Keep it away from a shared wall so motor vibration does not travel into the next flat.

Our full guide explains walking pad noise and your neighbours.

Floor space in a bedsitter

In use, it needs about the space of a single bed pushed against a wall, roughly 1.2 x 0.6 metres. Folded, it stands upright in a wardrobe gap or slides under most beds, so it never competes with your furniture for floor space. See how the foldable treadmill folds.

Power sockets and extension cables

It runs on a standard Kenyan 3-pin socket. If your socket is far from where you walk, use a properly rated extension cable. The motor draws more current than a phone charger or a lamp, so a light-duty cable is not suitable.

Shared houses, hostels and roommates

Because it folds away completely, it does not have to take over a shared sitting room. Fold and store it after each session and it stays out of everyone's way. It is also small enough for a student hostel room.