How far is 10,000 steps?
Walking is a great way to keep active because it is a weight-bearing form of exercise while remaining relatively low-impact. While cycling or going to the gym might take more time out of your day, you can typically incorporate walking into your daily routine with relative ease.
How many steps should I aim for per day?
Over the years, various studies and experts have advised the public on how many steps they should aim for a day. At one point, 10,000 steps was said to be the gold standard in helping us avoid or delay health issues.
However, this messaging actually comes from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign. Leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a company called Manpo-Kei began marketing a pedometer device to the public. In Japanese, ‘man’ means 10,000, ‘po’ means steps and ‘kei’ means metre. So it literally translated to ‘a 10,000 steps metre’.
Obviously, 10,000 steps a day is still a great goal, but studies have since shown how beneficial it is to walk even just a few thousand steps a day. This 2023 meta-analysis (a study which analyses data from lots of other studies) published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that as few as 2,600 to 2,800 daily steps significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease risk (e.g. stroke or heart attack).
Similarly, a meta-analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that people doing at least 2,337 steps a day started to reduce their risk of cardiovascular-related death, with at least 3,867 steps reducing their risk of dying from any cause. The authors concluded that the health benefits continued to increase with more steps.
Typically, however, these studies reveal a link rather than proving cause and effect. Although it sounds simple, it’s good to aim for consistency, getting out and walking as much as possible and being mindful of your individual limits and circumstances.
How far is 10,000 steps?
If you still like having a 10,000-daily step goal, or just want to know how far you can walk with 10,000 steps, it’s equivalent to about eight kilometres – or five miles. However, this figure can vary if you account for factors like different stride lengths, cadence (number of steps taken per minute) and height. If you’ve got a fitness tracker or keep a smartphone on you while walking, you should be able to see how many steps you’ve done and the distance you’ve covered with those steps, which will give you an idea of how far you could walk with 10,000 steps.
As well as distance and number of steps, it can also be good to consider other factors like walking intensity. The Active 10 study examined two groups of volunteers: one group aimed to do three brisk 10-minute walks per day – and the other aimed for 10,000 steps per day. While it was a small-scale study, the professor who analysed the data concluded that the 3 x 10-minute group did 30% more ‘moderate to vigorous physical activity’ than the 10,000-step group, even though they moved for less time. The greatest health benefits, he highlighted, tend to come from moderate intensity activity.
How quickly can I walk 10,000 steps?
Again, this will be different for different people and depends on a couple of things, like individual stride length, cadence, height and the terrain on which you’re walking – but also how much effort you’re putting in and/or how aerobically fit you are.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US says the average walking speed is between 2.5mph and 4mph. The British Heart Foundation, meanwhile, says a moderate walking pace for someone with excellent fitness is 4mph, with a fast walking pace being 5mph. You can use these averages to estimate how quickly you might walk 10,000 steps. So, for instance, if you walked at a speed of 4mph and 10,000 steps is equivalent to around five miles, you could walk 10,000 steps in about 1hr 15mins.
Let’s also not forget that, as well as elite runners, there are elite race walkers who compete across multiple distances, including 10K. If you are wondering how briskly they walk, the male 10K walking record, held by Japan's Eiki Takahashi, is 37:25.21, set in 2020. The female record, which was set in 1990, is held by Russia's Nadezhda Ryashkina, is 41:56.23.
How can I fit more steps into my day?
A great way to fit more steps into your day is by walking little and often, whether that’s indoors or outdoors. If it’s dark outside or you’re watching TV, consider walking on the spot or around the room for 10 minutes. Similarly, heading to the gym for a treadmill walk is still a workout, no matter what anyone says. You can also buy walking pads to help squeeze more steps into the working day.
If possible, also consider making small changes like walking to work instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking somewhere outside your office/home to eat lunch. When it comes to walking, it’s all about getting creative and making mindful choices.
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