Walking Pad / Treadmill in Upstairs Flat

[maroonballoon]

Hi everyone - can I get some honest opinions on the below please? I've included some context but TLDR at the end too.

I live in a second floor flat. I'm working very long hours at the moment and mostly working from home, meaning it's not uncommon for me to be at my desk from 9am-9pm and barely leave the flat. I'd love to get out and walk more outside but with my schedule it's just not possible.

I have a standing desk and would like to get a walking pad (basically a very small / less powerful treadmill) to go underneath, meaning I can walk and work at the same time. I've seen a few online that are fairly light (just under 25kg) so I'd be able to get it up the stairs and not panic about it falling through the floor!

I'd only ever be using it for walking at slow speeds (2.5-3mph, nothing strenuous) and happy to go barefoot to avoid a lot of the thudding. I'm quite a short, lightweight woman so not a super heavy guy pounding the floors. I'll also be buying some rubber mats or equivalent to go underneath to reduce the noise.

I'm not sure about the schedule of the woman living below but I'd intend to walk for maybe an hour each day, anytime between 10am-7pm. Would be happy to schedule around her being out or times that best suit her.

I've seen conflicting views online over how acceptable this would be but the posts are generally about people running on proper treadmills, which I think would be much noisier and more annoying for neighbours. To be honest, I think the spin cycle on my washing machine is probably way noisier than me walking would be and I've never questioned putting on a load of laundry (until now!).

So - would this be an absolute no, given I have someone living below me?

TLDR: is it unreasonable to get a small, light treadmill for slow walking approx an hour a day (barefoot, no running and no unsociable times) when I have a downstairs neighbour?

It’s not unreasonable at all. Although I would say working with 12 hours a day with no break is not sustainable

What kind of flooring do you have?

Look into getting a specialist anti-vibration mat for under the washing machine, rather than just 'a rubber mat' - it might also work for an unmotorised treadmill, but I do have a feeling that the noise from it will be far more irritating that a short spin cycle.

Thanks all. Definitely agree that the work hours are not sustainable but that's another issue I need to think about! I get some small breaks here and there, but generally just 10 mins and by the time I've grabbed a drink, put on shoes/coat and so on, I hardly make it 100m down the road by the time I'm turning round.

I have both wooden flooring and carpet, and was intending to move the desk setup onto the carpet. I also have a thick rug I could move under the desk if that works out better. Happy to buy anti-vibration, sound deadening, whatever mats / pads to go underneath, I'm looking at specific noise reducing ones. Admittedly 'rubber mat' was not the best description - my bad.

Could you possibly ask the person below what they’d think? They may be out at certain times and you could use it then with no worries at all? It’s nice that you are so considerate. I lived in a flat years ago where it sounded like the guy above did step aerobics in lead boots every evening and weekend.

What about a manual (non electric) treadmill?

Cheaper to buy, free to run and might be a good assessment item?
I imagine it will be quieter than one with a motor, but will keep your legs moving.

Probably better than the rowing machine that the upstairs neighbour in my previous flat!

They quite heavy, I certainly didn't like our cross trainer being in the middle of an upstairs bedroom. I would not have a treadmill in a flat unless I knew it had very strong supports and good sound/vibration proofing. It was bad enough noise with the treadmill in our garage.

Thanks everyone - asking my neighbour below would definitely be the easiest option, just wanted to make sure I'm not being completely ridiculous before I speak to her.

I've had noisy upstairs neighbours before and it's definitely a struggle. Unfortunately now that I am the upstairs neighbour, I'm all too aware of it and spend my whole time trying to creep silently around my flat to avoid any disturbance, which feels just as stressful!

I'm not necessarily worried about the weight as I'd be getting a light one but it's the noise/vibration potential that concerns me. A manual one is a good idea that I hadn't thought of and anything to help save on the electric bill is great too