10,000 Steps Calculator
How far is 10,000 steps, and how many calories does it burn? Personalised for your height, weight and pace.
I know my step length
Step length is estimated from height: about 41% of it when walking, 48% when jogging and 58% when running. Calories use MET values for each pace.
| Height | Step length | km | Miles | Calories |
|---|
How far is 10,000 steps?
For most adults, 10,000 walking steps is about 6.5–8 km (4–5 miles). Taller people take longer steps and cover more ground: the table under the calculator shows the distance for heights from 150 to 195 cm.
How long does it take?
At an average walking pace of 4.8 km/h (3 mph), 10,000 steps takes about 1.5 hours. At a brisk 6.4 km/h it takes a little over an hour.
Calories burned
A 70 kg person walking 10,000 steps at an average pace burns roughly 390 kcal. Heavier people and faster paces burn more.
Where does the 10,000 steps goal come from?
The number became popular in Japan in the 1960s, linked to the marketing of a pedometer, rather than from a scientific study. Later research suggests that health benefits rise with daily steps and start to level off somewhere between about 6,000 and 10,000 steps a day, depending on age. Any increase from a low starting point helps.
Frequently asked questions
How many km is 10,000 steps?
About 6.5–8 km for most adults — about 7.26 km for a 175 cm man.
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
About 4–5 miles — about 4.5 miles for someone 5′9″.
Do I need 10,000 steps a day?
Not necessarily. Studies link fewer steps, from about 6,000–8,000 a day, with lower health risks too, especially in older adults.