News Release

June 11, 2007

BSU Study Asks How Many Miles Make Up 10,000 Steps?
Number varies depending on gender, height and pace; 10,000 steps needed for health benefits

Health and wellness professionals recommend that adults accumulate at least 10,000 steps per day — you’ve probably heard this recommendation from your own doctor in the course of a recent checkup. This figure is the minimum recommendation to achieve on most days of the week to reduce the risk of disease and reap significant health benefits.

But exactly how far is 10,000 steps? This question continues to arise in wellness and fitness conferences long after the recommendation has worked its way into mainstream consciousness. And how does that number vary according to gender, height and walking/jogging pace?

These questions are at the heart of a new study headed by Boise State University kinesiology professor Werner Hoeger. Hoeger says the general thought is that 2,000 steps make a mile, but his research team wondered how that broke down for individuals ranging from tall male runners to shorter female strollers.

The study tested 44 people at two different walking speeds — 20- and 15-minute miles — and 34 people running the same distance at a 12-, 10-, 8- and 6-minute pace. The average number of steps required to walk/run a mile ranged from 1,064 steps for a 6-minute run in men to 2,310 steps for a 20-minute walk in women. Interestingly, individuals took more steps while jogging a 12-minute mile than while walking a 15-minute mile (1,951 vs. 1,935), most likely due to the shorter steps taken by joggers.

Results of the study were used to develop prediction equations (see below) to estimate the number of steps per mile based on walking or jogging pace, gender and height. A chart (see below) was subsequently developed to help people of different heights establish how many steps they take when walking or jogging at various speeds. For instance, a 5’6” woman who generally walks a mile in 20 minutes would have to walk about 4.4 miles per day to accumulate 10,000 steps. A 6’0” man who walks a 15-minute mile would have to walk 5.4 miles to meet the minimum recommendation.

Hoeger points out that most people in the United States average between 5,000 and 6,000 steps per day through regular activities of daily living. Using a pedometer can track steps taken during an average day of work, errands and chores, and help determine how many additional steps are needed based on preferred walking or jogging speeds to meet the 10,000-daily step goal.

Researchers anticipate this chart will be useful for doctors, personal trainers, health club personnel and other wellness practitioners. In addition to Hoeger, Boise State’s research team included Laura Bond, statistical consultant; Lynda Ransdell, chair and professor in the Department of Kinesiology; Jane Shimon, associate kinesiology professor; and graduate student Sunitha Merugu.

Estimated Number of Steps to Walk or Jog a Mile Based on Height (inches) and Pace (minutes per mile)
Pace (mins/mile)
Walking Jogging
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Contact: Werner Hoeger, Department of Kinesiology, (208) 426-3506, whoeger@boisestate.edu 
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu

Boise State University is the largest institution of higher education in Idaho, offering more than 190 fields of interest in eight colleges. The deadline for degree-seeking students to apply for fall admission is July 18. Discover the New U Beyond the Blue.
 

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Last reviewed on Monday, June 11, 2007