Where does 10,000 steps come from?

A 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign, not research. Later studies find much of the benefit accrues well before that, around 7,500 for several outcomes.

Health & Fitnessfitness

Steps to Calories and Distance Calculator

Calories from a step count. The 10,000 step target came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign rather than from research, though the health benefits of walking are real.

Also called: step calorie converter, 10000 steps calories.

Calories burned

377.7

About 377.7 kcal from 10,000 steps, covering 7.14 km at a stride of 71.4 cm. Net of resting metabolism that is 269.8 kcal. The 10,000 step target came from a 1960s pedometer marketing campaign, not from research.

Net of resting

269.8

Distance

7.14

Estimated stride

71.4

Approximate duration

85.7

Per thousand steps

37.77

On the 10,000 target

The 10,000 step target came from a 1960s pedometer marketing campaign, not from research.

How this is calculated

Method and background

This is what the calculation gives for the numbers you entered. It is an estimate, not advice, and it knows nothing about your situation beyond those numbers. Rules for United States change on a published schedule; the effective date is shown on every rule-based tool.

How this is calculated

Steps convert to distance through stride length, estimated from height, and distance to energy through the MET value for the pace. The figure is approximate because stride varies with pace and terrain and pedometers miscount. The 10,000 target is worth knowing the origin of: it came from the name of a pedometer sold in Japan before the 1964 Olympics, which happened to resemble a walking figure. Later research found benefits levelling off closer to 7,500 for many outcomes.

steps convert to distance through stride length, then to energy through the MET formula

n: Steps

Worked examples

Each of these is asserted on every build. If a change to the engine ever moved one of these answers, the build would fail before the page could print it.

10,000 steps

Steps: 10,000
Weight: 72 kg
Height: 172 cm
Walking pace: Moderate, 5 km/h

Calories burned377.7

172 x 0.415; 10,000 strides

Open this example

a brisk pace burns more per step

Steps: 10,000
Weight: 72 kg
Height: 172 cm
Walking pace: Brisk, 6.5 km/h

Calories burned415.1

boundary: the same distance, less time, higher MET

Open this example

Method and limits

What it assumes

Stride length estimated as 0.415 of height for men and 0.413 for women.

What it deliberately does not model

Stride estimated from height carries substantial error.
Pedometers and phones miscount, particularly at slow speeds and when carried in a bag.

Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · United States · Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Where does 10,000 steps come from?: A 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign, not research. Later studies find much of the benefit accrues well before that, around 7,500 for several outcomes.