How many steps does it take to cover a mile? How long does it take you to achieve 10,000 steps? Just how many miles do you actually walk every day? Find out with the step calculator! You’ll also learn how to sneak more exercise into your daily routine.
At a Glance
- Taking 4,500 steps per day is recommended, equivalent to a one-hour leisurely walk.
- The length of the activity is more important than the number of steps or distance covered.
- Incorporating physical activity into daily tasks, such as taking stairs and combining tasks with exercise, can increase overall activity levels.
- Utilize technology such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and our step/mile calculator to increase physical activity and track progress.
Steps to miles calculator: miles, steps and running time
With the steps to miles calculator, you can find step formulas for all occasions: number of miles, number of miles in steps or the number of steps and miles in a certain length of running/walking time.
Did you know?
- Home offices, delivery services and online shopping radically reduce physical activity. This can lead to weight gain and a higher risk of health issues.
- Researchers recommend at least 4,500 steps a day — that’s about a one-hour leisurely walk. The more steps the better!
- The length of an activity, not the number of steps or the distance covered, is what counts.
- No one has to win any races. Plain walking is beneficial and can easily find a spot in your everyday life.
- Smartwatches and fitness trackers can be helpful, but should suit your budget and goals.
- To get into your own personal pace, warm up with 20 to 30 steps at your normal speed.
- For the next 10 steps, measure the distance covered. The easiest way to do this is to mark your start and finish with a stick or stone.
- Then measure distance between the markers with a tape measure. Divide the result by 10 to determine your own step length.
- Multiply by two to get your stride length (two steps = one stride).
How do you find out your walking step or jogging stride length?
Step length varies, depending on your pace/sport/activity (walking, strolling, jogging) and height. If you are between 4’11” and 5’7″ tall, the average step length is about 2 feet; if you are over 5’7″ tall, it is about 2.3 feet. The stride length would then be 4 or 4.6 feet because two steps equal one stride (source).
To measure your own step or stride length, follow these steps:
If you have a basketball court nearby, you can get by without a tape measure. The length of the court is exactly 94 feet. Walk down the court once and then divide the 94 feet. by the number of steps counted.
Table: Steps to miles + time
Our table tells you which distances you cover with 10,000 or more steps and how much time you need for any chosen number of steps (e.g. 15,000 steps to miles). Use this chart to convert 10,000 steps to miles, calculate how far 10,000 steps is or how many miles is 6,000 steps.
| Steps | Miles (males) | Miles (females) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 0.49 | 0.41 |
| 2,000 | 0.98 | 0.82 |
| 2,500 | 1.23 | 1.03 |
| 3,000 | 1.7 | 1.23 |
| 5,000 | 2.45 | 2.05 |
| 6,000 | 2.94 | 2.46 |
| 7,500 | 3.67 | 3.08 |
| 10,000 | 4.91 | 4.10 |
| 15,000 | 7.36 | 6.15 |
| 20,000 | 9.82 | 8.20 |
| 21,000 | 10.31 | 8.61 |
How many steps can I cover in how much time?
If you are wondering what distance you can cover during an hour-long lunch break, the following table is just right for you.
| Time (minutes) | Steps (normal walking speed) | Miles covered (males) | Miles covered (females) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1,170 | 0.57 | 0.48 |
| 20 | 2,340 | 1.15 | 0.96 |
| 30 | 3,510 | 1.72 | 1.44 |
| 60 | 7,020 | 3.45 | 2.88 |
| 120 | 14,040 | 6.89 | 5.76 |
| 180 | 21,060 | 10.34 | 8.64 |
Lose weight by walking: Calories burned per step
A regular sized combo meal (burger with fries and regular soda) adds more than 1,000 calories to your daily calorie account. Nutrition experts recommend that men up to the age of 50 eat about 2,000 calories a day and women about 1,800.
So, what good is a post-meal walk? As you can see in the table below, you would need to go on quite a hike to burn those lunch calories. Good news: The American Diabetes Association found that for people who are overweight and sedentary, a 15-minute walk shortly after a meal stimulates muscles to absorb excess glucose and can significantly improve your blood sugar levels.
| Steps | Calories burned |
|---|---|
| 100 | 3.5 kcal |
| 1.000 | 35 kcal |
| 2.500 | 87.5 kcal |
| 5.000 | 175 kcal |
| 7.500 | 262.5 kcal |
| 10.000 | 350 kcal |
Foot, step, shoe, walk
The right footwear is important for walking, hiking or jogging. Shoes should support the foot, have optimal cushioning and, above all, be the correct shoe size.
Every step burns calories. Studies show that the body begins to draw its energy from fat reserves after just 30 minutes of walking. It’s not surprising to hear that the University of Texas in Austin discovered that the more you walk, the better it is for you.
10 simple tips for more exercise in everyday life
- Avoid elevators and escalators. Always take the stairs wherever possible.
- Make the most of waiting times. Early or waiting for something? Grab your smartphone, walk around the block and explore the neighborhood.
- Walk to nearby stores and offices. Planning a quick trip to the local deli? Ever consider doing it on foot?
- Head for the back of the parking lot. Park as far away from the entrance as possible and walk.
- Get off one stop earlier. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
- Do a double dose of house cleaning or yard work.Extra vacuuming, dusting or lawn mowing mean more exercise and more steps.
- Walk the dog — even if you have to borrow one.Many animal shelters are dependent on volunteer dog walkers. Busy, elderly or housebound neighbors will be happy to send their four-legged friends on an extra outing.
- Keep active instead of standing still. Whether you’re talking on the phone, brushing your teeth of listening to music, you can walk, march in place or dance.
- Face-to-face instead of virtual. Instead of a quick email or text message, visit your co-worker in the next office or ring your neighbors’ doorbell with an invite to go on a walk.
- Go for a hike. A weekend trip to a national park will give you a chance to discover beautiful nature trails of various lengths and challenges.
Exercise tips
How can you incorporate a higher step count into your daily routine?
Everyone can find an individual solution that fits their daily routine.
Add more physical activity into your everyday tasks, for example by leaving the car in the garage and walking, cycling or using public transportation to your destination. You can also combine lunch breaks with a short walk while making phone calls.
Small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, parking the car a little further away, etc. all add up. Make sure some of the activities last at least 10 minutes — this is where the greatest health benefits can be seen.
At best, you should have three 10-minute sets of physical activity a day (or one at 30 minutes or two at 15 minutes, etc.)to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO 2020) general activity recommendations.
Are 10,000 steps a day healthy? Or are fewer enough?
According to the WHO, 10,000 steps per day reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Although no study states that it has to be exactly 10,000 steps, all agree that both adults and children should complete as many steps as possible each day.
“Every move counts!”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Chairman of the World Health Association
It doesn’t have to be jogging, which can put stress on tendons and joints. You can walk yourself healthy! Walking will increase your performance and fitness, and save you some gas money on the side.
Remember, it is not the distance covered or the number of steps taken, but the length of activity time that is decisive for staying healthy.
The British Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) study results showed that the risk of early death could be reduced up to 15% by walking at least 30 minutes and 4,500 to 7,500 steps a day. This study showed that among older women, as few as approximately 4,400 steps per day was significantly related to lower mortality rates compared with approximately 2,700 steps per day.
The little helpers: smartwatch, fitness tracker and apps
In order to achieve your step goal, there are now numerous “smart” everyday gadgets on the market. In addition to counting your steps, these devices can count calories, show pulse rates and even analyze your sleep patterns.
When using technical helpers, however, you should be aware of two things:
The sensors provide an approximate value. The 10,000 steps displayed could have really been 10,187 or 9,927. Trackers or watches worn on the arm often incorrectly count everyday movements, like washing the dishes or making a phone call, as steps.
Be conscious of the fact that apps can collect more data than needed to calculate the number of steps you’ve taken. For example, some providers also store and forward your GPS position data.
FAQ
How many miles are 10,000 steps?
After 10,000 steps you have covered between 4.9 miles and 5 miles (depending on step length). Calculate exactly here.
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How many steps in a mile?
About 2,000. Average step length is approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means you need to walk 2,000 steps to cover one mile. 10,000 steps add up to roughly 5 miles (1 jogging stride equals 2 walking steps). Calculate exact number of steps here.
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How do you convert steps to miles?
You can convert steps into miles by using your individual step length. This is usually related to your height. Use this steps to miles converter to convert steps to miles.
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How many feet are a step?
Step lengths are individual, but roughly speaking, if you are between 4’11” and 5’7″ tall, the average step length is about 2 feet; if you are over 5’7″ tall, the average step length is about 2.3 feet.
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Where does the “10,000 steps per day” figure come from?
The number was originally a marketing stunt by Yamasa Corporation for the 1964 Olympics. However, this number did not contain any well-founded, scientific research. Harvard professor Theodore Bestor discovered that the main focus was on finding a catchy name for the Yamasa device.
At the time, Yamasa Corporation introduced a portable pedometer under the name “Man-po-kei”. This Japanese term is made up of the words “man” for the number 10,000, “po” for “step” and “kei” for “measure”, which translates as “10,000-step meter”.
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- 1 At a Glance
- 2 Steps to miles calculator: miles, steps and running time
- 3 Did you know?
- 4 How do you find out your walking step or jogging stride length?
- 5 Table: Steps to miles + time
- 6 How many steps can I cover in how much time?
- 7 Lose weight by walking: Calories burned per step
- 8 Foot, step, shoe, walk
- 9 10 simple tips for more exercise in everyday life
- 10 Exercise tips
- 11 How can you incorporate a higher step count into your daily routine?
- 12 Are 10,000 steps a day healthy? Or are fewer enough?
- 13 The little helpers: smartwatch, fitness tracker and apps
- 14 FAQ
FAQs
How do I calculate my steps per mile? ›
- How many steps in a mile?
- 2,000 steps.
- An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles. ...
- Wearing a pedometer or fitness tracker is an easy way to track your steps each day.
You can also estimate steps by knowing that 2,000 steps equals one mile. Measure your progress by the number of steps you are covering each day. Generally speaking you can count on 2,000 steps equaling one mile.
How do you calculate steps into distance? ›Divide the number of feet in your measured distance by the number of steps you took from the first mark to the second. Distance in feet/number of steps = step length. For example, if it took you 16 steps to cover 20 feet, your step length would be 1.25 feet (15 inches).
How many steps does a 5 foot person take in a mile? ›| Height | Steps per Mile |
|---|---|
| 5 feet even | 2,514 steps |
| 5 feet 1 inch | 2,473 steps |
| 5 feet 2 inches | 2,433 steps |
| 5 feet 3 inches | 2,395 steps |
How many steps are there in a mile? Walking a mile means taking around 2,000 steps. The exact number depends on the individual's height and stride length. If we assume an average stride length (2.2 ft for women and 2.5 ft for men), a mile will take 2,112 male steps and 2,400 female steps.
How long does it take to walk 1 mile? ›Most people can expect to walk a mile in 15 to 22 minutes, according to data gathered in a 2019 study spanning five decades. The average walking pace is 2.5 to 4 mph, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Is walking 1 mile a day enough? ›Walking a mile a day is an excellent fitness goal for beginners. It's not too much of a commitment in terms of time and energy, yet it can still provide many wonderful physical and mental health benefits.
How many miles a day should I walk? ›Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
How many steps are in 60 minutes of walking? ›Since cadences were only measured for 3 MET (slow) and 5 MET (fast) walks, 122 steps/min is a mid-way estimate for a 4 MET walk. This produces an estimate of 3,660 steps in 30 minutes and 7,320 steps in 60 minutes.
How do you calculate one way distance? ›One way is to use the rate of what you are calculating and multiply it by the time it takes. This distance formula is written as d=rt d = r t . The other way to calculate distance is to use the coordinate plane. This distance equation is written as d=√(x2−x1)2+(y2−y1)2 d = ( x 2 − x 1 ) 2 + ( y 2 − y 1 ) 2 .
How many steps is 15 minutes of walking? ›
A 15-minute walk at a brisk pace will be about 2,000 steps. Pedometer studies have shown that people who add more steps in throughout the day are less likely to be overweight and they have reduced risks for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and more.
How many steps is 30 minutes of walking? ›You can estimate about 3,300-3,500 steps as a good proxy for 30 minutes walking.
Do shorter people take more steps in a mile? ›Because their steps are longer, taller people actually take fewer steps per mile (and shorter people more steps per mile). Your actual step length is a more accurate estimate of steps per mile because it accounts for your individual leg length.
How many steps should you take a day by age? ›And for adults younger than 60, the risk of premature death stabilizes at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. This means that adults ages 59 and younger can benefit the most from 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day, and adults ages 60 and older have the most benefits from taking 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day.
How many steps should a woman walk a day? ›The fitness goal of 10,000 steps a day is widely promoted, but a new study suggests that logging even 7,000 daily steps may go a long way toward better health.
How many steps if I walk 2 miles? ›Your 30 minutes of formal exercise on the treadmill add up to about two miles, or around 4,000 steps. (Though the number of steps can vary depending on your stride and speed, one mile tends to be about 2,000 steps).
How many miles is 10000 steps a day for a year? ›Taking 10,000 steps is about the same as walking four or five miles, depending on your stride.
How many miles does it take to walk 1000 steps? ›1000 steps is a little less than a third of a mile. It should take about 7 minutes to walk 1000 steps.
How fast should a 70 year old woman walk a mile? ›| Age | Sex | Miles/hour |
|---|---|---|
| 70 to 79 | Male | 2.82 |
| Female | 2.53 | |
| 80 to 89 | Male | 2.17 |
| Female | 2.10 |
“Normal” walking speeds for community-dwelling older adults who are healthy generally range from 0.90 to 1.30 m/s,9,12 whereas walking speeds ≤0.60 to 0.70 m/s are strong risk factors for poor health outcomes.
Does a 1 mile walk count as exercise? ›
Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.
Is it better to walk slow or fast? ›Surprisingly, walking slowly 2 miles per hour burns more calories than fast walking 3 to 4 miles per hour. Why? When you walk slowly, you lose the efficiency of already being in motion towards your next step. This makes your muscles work a little harder with each step.
How far should an 80 year old walk each day? ›Generally, older adults in good physical shape walk somewhere between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily. This translates into walking distances of 1 and 4-1/2 miles respectively. Increasing the walking distance by roughly a mile will produce health benefits.
How many steps a day should a 70 year old woman take? ›Many experts agree that the recommended steps per day for seniors is 7,000-10,000. People who live with a disability or chronic illness can still benefit from an active lifestyle, and depending on individual abilities may strive for 5,500 steps per day.
Is it OK to walk 2 miles everyday? ›Step count aside, most health and fitness experts would agree that walking 2 miles a day is enough for overall health and to reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and certain cancers.
What happens if you walk 2 miles everyday? ›Other benefits of walking 2 miles a day include improved fitness and stamina, lowering bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol levels, improving your cardiovascular fitness and heart health, reducing your risk of diabetes (16), improving blood and oxygen circulation, and even reducing your risk of breast and ...
Is it better to walk 30 minutes or 60 minutes? ›According to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology, 30 minutes of daily exercise is just as effective for losing weight as 60 minutes.
How many steps is a 5 minute walk? ›Steps in 5 minutes (based on speed)
3.5 mph – 624 steps. 4 mph – 668 steps.
10 minutes of moderate intensity activity = 1,000 steps.
What is the simple distance formula? ›Learn how to find the distance between two points by using the distance formula, which is an application of the Pythagorean theorem. We can rewrite the Pythagorean theorem as d=√((x_2-x_1)²+(y_2-y_1)²) to find the distance between any two points. Created by Sal Khan and CK-12 Foundation.
Is it better to walk once or twice a day? ›
THE BENEFITS OF WALKING TWICE A DAY
Being sedentary for long periods of time during the day can lead to problems associated with obesity, heart disease, and other health-related illnesses. For this reason, adopting a routine that involves multiple walking sessions per day instead of just one can be beneficial.
Are multiple short walks as good as 1 long walk? In short – yes! Shorter walks are just as good as longer walks for fitness. In fact, it may even be more beneficial to work in short bursts of activity during your day.
Is walking 30 minutes a day enough exercise? ›Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.
How many minutes does it take to walk 100 steps? ›Even though the participants had a range of different body weights and fitness levels, researchers found that what constituted brisk or moderate walking was consistent across the studies: about 100 steps per minute (or about 2.7 miles per hour).
How many steps does it take to lose a pound? ›"Generally, 1 mile (or roughly 2,000 steps) walked equates to [burning] 80 to 100 calories." There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound. "This means to lose 1 pound, you'll need to walk roughly 35 miles or 70,000 steps.
How many steps is a 20 minute walk? ›A 20-minute walk is about 120 steps per minute, or 2,400 steps. You can break that up into three walks of 800 steps each.
How do I calculate number of steps walked? ›Count your steps for that length and then multiple by ten, if counting for a tenth of a mile, and you will have your distance for a mile. If counting for a quarter of a mile then multiply that number by four and you will have your steps for a full mile.
How many steps is 30 minutes? ›Your 30 minutes of formal exercise on the treadmill add up to about two miles, or around 4,000 steps. (Though the number of steps can vary depending on your stride and speed, one mile tends to be about 2,000 steps).
How many steps should a 70 year old woman take daily? ›Many experts agree that the recommended steps per day for seniors is 7,000-10,000. People who live with a disability or chronic illness can still benefit from an active lifestyle, and depending on individual abilities may strive for 5,500 steps per day.
Can you calculate my steps? ›Google Fit on Android Phones
You'll need to grant the app access to your phone's sensors so that your steps can be monitored. Once you're all set up, open the Google Fit app any time to check out your number of steps, estimated calories burned, and other fitness information.
What is the easiest way to count steps? ›
The best device for counting steps is a pedometer or step counter.
How many walking steps per day are considered as an active level of walking? ›Low active is 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day. Somewhat active is 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Active is more than 10,000 steps per day. Highly active is more than 12,500.
How far should a 65 year old walk every day? ›Generally, older adults in good physical shape walk somewhere between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily. This translates into walking distances of 1 and 4-1/2 miles respectively. Increasing the walking distance by roughly a mile will produce health benefits.
Is it better to walk faster or longer? ›In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
Is 1 mile enough to walk a day? ›Walking a mile a day is an excellent fitness goal for beginners. It's not too much of a commitment in terms of time and energy, yet it can still provide many wonderful physical and mental health benefits.