How Many Steps In A Mile
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Introduction
If you’re trying to move more to lose weight and get fit, walking is perhaps the simplest way to achieve this. To this end, many people commit to walking a fixed number of steps a day.
But how far do you have to walk to achieve, say, 10,000 steps?
A pedometer is the obvious solution, but they’re never 100% accurate. Furthermore, they can make walking less enjoyable and seem like a chore.
Better to work out a fixed walking trail and commit to walking that daily. But how far do you need to walk to reach our hypothetical 10,000 steps?
How many steps on average in a mile (based on height)
The average person takes 2,000 steps to complete a mile. But this varies with height.
And even height isn’t always a reliable guide.
Below is a table that give the approximate number of steps per mile based on height.
| Height | Average steps per mile |
| 5’0″ | 2,556 |
| 5’1″ | 2,514 |
| 5’2″ | 2,474 |
| 5’3″ | 2,435 |
| 5’4″ | 2,397 |
| 5’5″ | 2,360 |
| 5’6″ | 2,324 |
| 5’7″ | 2,289 |
| 5’8″ | 2,256 |
| 5’9″ | 2,223 |
| 5’10” | 2,191 |
| 5’11” | 2,160 |
| 6’0″ | 2,130 |
| 6’1″ | 2,101 |
| 6’2″ | 2,073 |
| 6’3″ | 2,045 |
| 6’4″ | 2,018 |
| 6’5″ | 1,992 |
Source:www.thewalkingsite.com
How many steps does it take for YOU to walk a mile.
Each person is different, and your height isn’t always a reliable guide to calculate the number of steps it takes you to walk a mile.
We will cover two ways to measure the number of steps it takes you to walk a mile:
- Using a smartphone app (We recommend the Moasure measuring app)
- A low tech way that requires a tape measure, duct tape and a piece of string.
Smartphone app method
Instructions
Download the app.
Measure the distance between two points of exactly 20 feet.
Walk this length while counting your steps. If there’s less than a full step left before you reach the end, don’t count it. If it’s over half a step, count it as a full step.
Repeat step 3 four times — Alternatively, you could just walk 80 feet if you have the space.
Add up your total number of steps and divide by four to get the average — or just write down your total if you opt to walk 80 feet instead.
Multiply this average by 264 — or 66 for the 80 feet method. This will give you a very close estimate to the number of steps it takes YOU to complete a mile.
Low tech string method
Instructions
Measure out 20 feet of string.
(One easy way to do this is to measure out two feet at a time and mark the distances by wrapping a small amount of tape around them)
Lay the length of string on the ground and apply tension to ensure that it’s straight. Use duct tape to secure both ends.
Walk the length of the string at your regular stride while counting your steps. If there’s less than half a step at the end, don’t count it. Only count it if there’s more than half a step.
Repeat step 3 four times, writing down your number of steps each time.
Add up your total number of steps and divide by four to get the average.
Multiply this average by 264. This will give you a very close estimate to the number of steps it takes YOU to complete a mile
Example
If I was measuring how many steps it took me to complete a mile and I took eight steps to complete on the first count, and nine to complete the last three counts, my average would work out at 8.75 (8+9+9+9 = 35÷4 = 8.75)
I would then multiply 8.75 by 264 to get 2310, the estimate of how many steps it takes me to walk a mile
How far do you have to walk to reach 10,000 steps
To calculate how many steps it takes you to complete a mile, simply divide 10,000 by the number of steps it takes you to complete a mile.
For example, if it took me 2310 steps to walk a mile, it would take me 4.3 miles to reach 10,000 steps (10,000 ÷ 2310).
How to get the most out of walking for weight loss
If you to get the most out of walking, you should aim to walk at a brisk pace, which will be around 3.5 — 4 MPH. Your intensity of breathing should be moderately heavy, but you shouldn’t be struggling for breath. Remember, this is a moderate intensity exercise.
Keep it as simple as possible. Don’t bother using any apps or other devices to measure your walking speed. Just walk at a brisk pace.
Of course, you can use google maps to work out the distance of a walking trail beforehand. But otherwise, you should keep it as low tech as possible.
Once you’ve decided on a walking trail, stick to doing it everyday until you’ve reached your goal.
A popular target to shoot for is 10,000 steps a day. But you don’t have to start of with this. Start off walking 5,000 steps a day and increase it by 1,000 steps a week until you reach 10,000 steps
Can't walk outside, here's what to do...
If you can’t walk outside for whatever reason, don’t worry. A cheap, non-motorized treadmill will suffice.
These can be got for between 100 – $200. There’s no need to invest in an expensive treadmill.
Conclusion
If you need to lose weight and get fit, walking is a great place to start. For weight loss at least, you can achieve your goals just by walking alone.
But don’t just stop there. As great as walking is, it’s not very effective for building and toning muscle. It’s also time consuming. Higher intensity exercises will achieve more in less time.