Nowadays, the internet is rife with paid product reviews, which makes it hard to tell the difference between genuine value and incentivized hype. Yes, everyone on your fitness feed might be singing the praises of a particular workout product, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth your time or money—especially if those people are earning a commission. Right now, plenty of fitness influencers are throwing their weight behind the mini stepper, which they say is just right for burning calories and shedding extra pounds.
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You’re not alone if you feel like everywhere you look, mini-steppers are having their moment. In fact, these videos often have a familiar format that you might recognize: A fitness expert begins their post by saying they’re going to show you why the product is a waste of money. Then, lo and behold, they’re converted by the product’s superior features. Time to break out your wallet.
The truth about mini-steppers is that they’re neither the holy grail of fitness nor a total waste of your hard-earned cash. When it comes to weight loss, the fact is that virtually anything you do to move your body in different ways will help you slim down when you combine it with a healthy diet that’s within your target calorie range.
Their biggest draw is convenience: The mini stepper takes up little space, requires little money upfront, and may help you stay active through the colder winter months. These compact, inexpensive step machines can, in fact, offer an effective way to get your heart pumping, putting a cardio workout within reach even when the gym is a step too far.
One unpaid reviewer on YouTube, a physical therapist striving for a 100-pound weight loss transformation, says she lost only a few pounds after using her stepper for 30 days. That said, she’s also happy she bought it. At the end of a month-long experiment in which she built up her exercise routine from 10 to 30 minutes daily, she said: “I was really happy to find that I was actually still thoroughly enjoying my workouts, even though they were very actively kicking my butt.”
Despite the scale mostly staying put, she did note a difference in body composition. “I’m definitely noticing that I am slimmer in the waist—it’s nice and straight going down, finally,” she said. “My shorts do feel looser on my thighs, which is a welcome change, and they’re higher up than before because my stomach has shrunk. I was super excited about that.”
Another reviewer shared on YouTube that she began her own 30-day challenge weighing 175 pounds—her highest ever weight outside of pregnancy. After a month of walking one mile per day on her mini-stepper while carrying hand weights throughout her workouts, she lost a total of six pounds, bringing her weight down to 169. “If you’re thinking about getting one, do it and keep consistent,” she said, adding that she had set a new goal of 160 pounds and planned to stick with her routine.
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Garage Gym Reviews (GGR) recommends the $60 Niceday Mini Stair Stepper “because it has an affordable price tag, inclusive user weight capacity, adjustable resistance, and comes with detachable resistance bands.” They add, “The Niceday stepper also comes with a lifetime warranty, which is rare on such a compact and budget-friendly exercise machine.”
Matt Dustin, a GGR expert tester and certified personal trainer, tested the Niceday Mini Stepper and said that the first thing he noticed was the resistance: “I used the knob to adjust the step height and found that both the low and high step heights were pretty challenging. It doesn’t take long to get to your target heart rate.”
Some reviewers say you might notice a slight learning curve when you first get started on your mini-stepper. Practicing your balance and coordination on the machine appear to be the keys to a successful workout. That said, as is the case with all exercise types that take a moment to master, weight loss is definitely possible when you use a mini-stepper. Set a goal and stick to it, and you’ll most likely see results.