How far is 5,000 steps?

The health and fitness world is full of generic ‘recommended dailies’. Some of these have been drilled into us from childhood – eating five fruit and veg a day, brushing teeth for two minutes, trying to get eight hours of sleep. Others are more recent. What do you think of when you hear the figure 10,000, for example? Chances are, it's step count.

The figure of 10,000 has long been held up as gold standard when it comes to our daily step-count goal, promising to reduce the risk of disease and help you lose weight. A lot of people chase this number on their fitness tracker hoping to get the satisfying beep when it is reached (26% of Brits admit to owning a fitness tracker, and 34% of owners claim to wear theirs seven days a week). But if you’re struggling to reach 10,000 steps a day, we have good news.

There’s no denying moving more is beneficial to your mind and body. Nothing blows away the mindwebs better than a stroll and fresh air, while increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) burns calories. But science shows you can reap most of the benefits of walking if you hit 5,000 steps a day.

Many studies have found around 7,500 to 8,000 steps to be the sweet spot. A recent study from the University of Buffalo even found health benefits from walking just 3,600 steps among women over 60 years old.

Certified personal trainer and running coach Amber Sayer, MS, CPT, CNC recommends walking 5,000 steps per day as an 'approachable goal' for many people.

'If you only walk 5,000 steps a day, you are still significantly reducing your risk of dying prematurely and cardiovascular disease. The risk of premature death continues declining until about 7,500 steps per day when it levels off,' she says.

But what does 5,000 steps actually look like? It's time for a little maths.

According to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the average step length for women is approximately 26 inches, and the average stride length is 52 inches. Meanwhile, the average step length for men is approximately 31 inches, and the average stride length is 62 inches.

Because a mile is 5,280 feet, the average man takes 2,000 steps per mile, and the average woman takes about 2,437 steps per mile. Therefore, if you walk 5,000 steps a day, a typical man will walk about 2.5 miles, while a woman might walk just over 2 miles.

Walking at a pace of 20min/mile (the average walking speed), this distance should take about 40 minutes. But, with a speedy strut, most people can cover 5,000 in about 30 minutes, says Sayer.

She adds: 'Walking 5,000 steps a day is a fantastic way to jumpstart a healthy exercise routine and pull you out of your sedentary lifestyle.'

So, it turns out 10,000 steps every day is not the be-all and end-all. A 30-40 minute walk a day is enough for you to feel the benefits of keeping active.