How Many Average Steps Are in a Mile?

Overview

Whether you are a lither yogi, muscle-bound weightlifter, or a super dad or mom focused on staying healthy, you can opt for little ambulatory movement.

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than half (47.7%) of the U.S. adult population has been able to meet the physical activity guidelines set by the organization.

The CDC also recommends U.S. adult population engage in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity of at least 150 minutes per week and walking is one of the free and easy exercises you can engage in for a healthier body.

So, if your physical body allows you to add walking to your daily regimen, you should definitely engage in more of this for immense health benefits. According to NIH research, taking more steps per day can contribute to reduced mortality risk from all causes.

Walking regularly has been linked to a number of health benefits including improved cardiovascular fitness, enhanced mood, increased calorie expenditure, and reduced risks of various chronic diseases.

Since our bodies are meant to move, any person who is not able to achieve the recommended amount of body exercise per day can choose walking as an entry point to a more proactive lifestyle.

About How Many Steps Are in a Mile?

If you are using a phone motion sensor or fitness band to count steps, then an average person can make about 2,000 -2,500 walking steps in a mile.

However, if you are using running steps, then you are likely to make fewer steps of about 1,000-2,000 in a mile. This is because running steps have longer strides, meaning you need fewer steps to cover one mile.

According to Colleen M. Brough, PT, DPT, MS, board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and director of Columbia RunLab at Columbia University, one mile has about 2,000 steps if you are using 2 feet-ish stride length.

However, if you are moving faster and making longer strides, the number of steps will definitely reduce. A 10-minute mile will, therefore, convert to around 1,500 steps. The number of steps decreases when running because of the longer stride length, says Brough.

Does Knowing How Many Steps Are in a Mile Really Matter?

We are living in a data-focused world and being aware of the extra metrics can be helpful in your training and overall performance.

Knowing the distance you can cover every day besides your official workout can go a long way in helping you handle the levels of your physical activity and manage your fitness goals.

Walking

Walking is one of the underestimated forms of exercise in everyday life. While we appreciate the benefits of running in cardiovascular health, walking is also great for heart and lung health, says Cristina Chan, CPT, and F45 Training Recovery Athlete.

Walking also supports bone health, improves cognitive functioning, reduces blood pressure, boosts mood, and helps you sleep better.

Also, if you have the opportunity to take a nature walk, you also get the benefit of getting fresh air and Vitamin D as well, Chan adds.

The American Heart Association recommends every American adult engage in a 30-minute exercise daily for heart health. When translated into walking steps, it means covering about 1.5 miles of walking distance every day.

So, knowing your steps increases your understanding of the mileage you are required to cover per day to meet your target for better health.

Daily Goal

Daily brisk walk of about 20-30 minutes daily can help improve your health and the body’s overall wellbeing. It may lead to health benefits such as improved mood, better sex, and better health, says Dr. Brough.

The bonus exercise you get by hitting daily step goals may bring extra benefits to cardio health and also strengthen your training routine.

A research publication in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology notes that walking 3867 steps per day can help reduce the risk of people dying from any cause. And 2,337 steps daily could decrease the risk of people dying from cardiovascular disease.

When you combine the benefits of walking with your energizing workouts at the gym, you will be able to achieve a balanced fitness routine, says Chan.

How Many Steps Should You Take Daily?

A study publication in The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that most people take an average of 3,000 – 4,000 steps per day. To be able to reach the recommended number per day, you need to double the number.

According to fitness experts, as little as 4,000 steps per day can help reduce death risk from all causes. Nevertheless, there are more health benefits if you can hit the recommended 10,000 steps per day.

How Do You Measure Steps In a Mile and What Does It Depend On?

There are a number of ways one can keep track of the steps they make per mile to be able to know the average distance they are able to cover per day.

Fitness experts may recommend the use of a fitness tracker or mobile phone’s step-counting function to count the steps. Some of the methods for counting steps per mile are discussed below.

Running Track

Running track is one way of measuring steps covered in a mile. You can make use of measured miles like a local school track with quarter-mile track regulation. If you have this at your disposal, all you need is to walk in the inside lane and count your steps.

By going around the quarter-mile track four times, it may not be necessary for you to do the math. To measure the number of steps, go around the 400-meter track four times and then multiply the steps you make by 1.009.

Fitness Trackers

Another convenient way of keeping track of steps covered in a mile is by use of trackers like sports watches or Fitbits. By wearing it on your wrist, it can measure not just steps but also other data like stress scores and heart rate.

Although wearable devices may be a good investment and reliable option, they can be quite expensive. These devices may cost about $100 – $300 or even more, depending on style and features.

Apps

Some mobile apps offer a great method of counting steps and measuring miles along with the phone’s GPS. However, the mile distance can vary and sometimes be off by 10% using GPS.

GPS may signal travel between the phone and the number of satellites in orbit. However, there are chances of getting confused by trees, hillsides, and buildings, interfering with distance measurement accuracy.

To ensure better accuracy, you need to select an open area where you can walk with a clear sky view and without turns and twists. Also you might enhance your walking routine by using the Best Virtual Personal Trainers Apps to accurately measure steps in a mile and optimize your fitness journey.

Measured Mile

Another method of measuring steps per mile is the use of an online mapping site where you map a mile course in space in your local area with a fitness tracker on. For best accuracy, you should also pick a straight path without curves and turns.

Understanding Stride Length

Measuring stride length gives a more accurate number of steps one makes per mile. There is an average stride length you are likely to see listed in several places like 0.67 m (2.2 feet) for women and 0.762 m (2.5 feet) for men. However, all this may depend on a person’s height.

To measure your stride length, you need to get the distance from one foot’s heel print to the other foot’s heel print. In other words, it’s a distance traveled forward by one leg.

However, note that your stride length will always vary depending on whether you running or walking and whether you are on rough trails on hills or crossing streets with stops and starts.

According to Teddy Savage, national lead trainer at Planet Fitness, both pace and stride are factors to consider when calculating how many steps you can take to cover a mile when running or walking.

Stride Length Equations

To calculate your stride length, simply divide as below

• 300/ number of step count = your stride length (in feet)
• 3,600/ number of step count = your stride length (in inches)

If you are able to get your stride length (SL), your steps in every mile will be as follows:

• 5,280/ SL in feet
• 63,360/ SL in inches

The strides or steps you are likely to walk in one mile will highly depend on your individual stride length or step.

This may vary from one individual to the other and may be influenced by some factors including age, height, and fitness level.

You can make use of a fitness tracker to help you determine the steps you walk per mile, alongside the calculations for determining the individual step rate above.