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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
- 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