Step Counter
Enter today’s steps to see the distance and rough calories. Log each day to track a weekly goal — everything stays in your browser.
- Calories burned
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- Stride length
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- Active minutes
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- Goal
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How many steps a day do you actually need?
The 10,000 figure came from a 1965 Japanese pedometer marketing campaign, not from research. The device was called manpo-kei — literally "10,000 step meter" — and the number was chosen because the character for 10,000 resembles a walking person. Actual studies find most of the mortality benefit arrives well before that: a large 2019 study of older women found risk levelled off around 7,500 steps, and analyses in younger adults show gains continuing to roughly 8,000–10,000 before flattening. Going from 3,000 to 6,000 helps far more than going from 9,000 to 12,000.
Steps to distance
Stride length is roughly 41.5% of your height, which is what this calculator uses. Actual stride varies with speed and terrain, so treat the distance as an estimate rather than a measurement.
| Height | Stride | Steps per km | Steps per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 cm | 64 cm | 1,555 | 2,502 |
| 165 cm | 68 cm | 1,460 | 2,350 |
| 175 cm | 73 cm | 1,377 | 2,216 |
| 185 cm | 77 cm | 1,303 | 2,096 |
The common rule of thumb — 2,000 steps to a mile — is close enough for most people of average height.
Why your phone and watch disagree
Step counters infer steps from acceleration patterns, and they infer differently.
- A phone in your pocket misses steps when you leave it on a desk, and adds phantom ones when you shake a bag.
- A wrist device counts arm movement, so pushing a trolley or holding a rail undercounts badly, while chopping vegetables overcounts.
- Neither is calibrated. Validation studies find consumer devices commonly out by 5–15% in either direction.
Consistency matters more than accuracy. If you always use the same device, the trend is meaningful even if the absolute number is not.
How to use the Step Counter
- Enter today’s step count from your phone or watch.
- Add your height and weight so stride and calories are personalised.
- Press Log today to record it against the week.
Frequently asked questions
How many steps are in a mile?
Roughly 2,000 for a person of average height, though it ranges from about 2,100 for a tall person to 2,500 for a shorter one. The table above shows it by height.
Is 10,000 steps a day necessary?
No. The figure came from a 1965 pedometer marketing campaign. Research suggests most of the health benefit accrues by around 7,500–8,000 steps, with gains flattening after that.
How many calories does walking burn?
Around 0.5 kcal per kilogram of body weight per kilometre. A 70 kg person walking 5 km burns roughly 175 kcal — considerably less than most people assume.
Is my step history private?
Yes. It is stored in your browser and never uploaded. Clearing your browser data clears it.
Does this connect to my fitness tracker?
No. Enter the number manually from whatever device you use. Connecting would require accounts and API access, which this deliberately avoids.
Related tools
Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Distance and calorie figures are estimates from stride and weight, not measurements.