So you know you should be walking 10,000 steps a day? Well, that seems to be everyone’s magic number. But how far is that in distance terms?
There’s no single answer because height and limb length influence stride length and therefore how far you’d have to walk to hit 10,000 steps.
What we do know is that the average stride length is typically about 0.413 times a person’s height.
How Far is 10,000 Steps in Distance? The Calculator
Here’s a calculator that lets you input your height, target steps (if not 10,000)
and tells you roughly how far you’d need to walk to hit that step target.
So, if you were 5 foot 6 (around 167cm) you would need to walk 6.9km to hit 10,000 steps. So there you go, a quick and simple calculator to help you figure out how far you’d need to walk to hit your steps target.
But is 10,000 steps actually even the right target to start with?
Let’s have a little look at where that target comes from.
Why 10,000 Steps?
I’d love to say that the idea of 10,000 steps specifically is rooted in some sort of scientific study.
But actually, it has its roots in marketing.
Specifically, a marketing campaign launched ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 to sell pedometers. The Japanese character for 10,000 looks like a person walking – so this is the number that was chosen.
However, science has since backed it up!
We know that:
- 9800 steps per day reduces the risk of dementia by 50%
- But equally just under 4,000 also reduces that risk by 25%
We also know that walking in general is good for mental clarity, creative flow, reduced risk of obesity, heart disease and other obesity related health conditions.
But how many steps?
Well, sorry to not give a numerical response here, but it depends. If you’re only walking 5,000 a day on average right now, hitting 10,000 would require you doubling your steps overnight. Maybe an interim target to help you build up might make more sense.
It will also depend on what you want to achieve and how much other exercise you’re doing.
There are apps out there that can help you figure out your optimal step count!
