Inactive: less than 5,000 steps per day. Average (somewhat active): ranges from 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Very active: more than 12,500 steps per day.
Walking’s good for more than just getting around As wearable fitness trackers become increasingly popular, more people are taking a closer look at their daily steps. And it seems to be paying off. According to the American Council on Exercise, people who track their steps take an average of 2,500 more steps per day than those who don’t. If you’re one of the millions who participate in a quest to hit the commonly recommended 10,000 steps-a-day goal, your efforts won’t go unrewarded. Regular activity, including walking, offers a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of: heart disease and stroke
high blood pressure
diabetes
obesity
depression
certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer But how many steps per day does the average person really take? And is it enough?
Steps decrease with age A 2011 review concluded that adults over the age of 18 take anywhere from 4,000 to 18,000 steps per day. Another 2011 review looked at children and adolescents. It found that those under 18 take anywhere from 10,000 to 16,000 steps per day. The authors noted that the number of daily steps drops significantly as teenagers approach age 18. Age definitely seems to play a role in how much walking people are doing. Younger adults are also more likely to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for aerobic activity than older adults.
Males tend to walk more There appears to be a significant difference in the average number of steps taken by females and males. From childhood through adulthood, males tend to walk more. As children and teens, they walk an average of 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day. Young females, on the other hand, get 10,000 to 12,000. This trend continues into adulthood, at least in the United States. A 2010 study looked at pedometer data for just over 1,000 adults. Overall, males took an average of 5,340 steps per day, compared to 4,912 for females.
Your job likely plays a role, too What you do for a living may impact your average steps per day, too. Jenny Craig conducted a small research project in 2012 involving 10 participants from Australia, each with a different job. They were given pedometers to track their steps. Here’s a breakdown of the average steps per day associated with 10 professions, from highest to lowest: Occupation Average steps per day Waiter 22,778 Nurse 16,390 Retail worker 14,660 Farmer 14,037 Stay-at-home parent 13,813 Teacher 12,564 Tradesperson 11,585 Hairdresser 9,209 Office worker 7,570 Call center associate 6,618 Keep in mind that this data wasn’t collected as part of a formal, controlled study. It only includes data for one person in each occupation and doesn’t account for important factors, such as sex or age. Still, it’s an interesting snapshot of how much the average steps per day can vary from person to person.
Numbers vary from country to country People in certain countries tend to take more steps per day than those in other countries. A 2017 study tracked activity levels of 717,527 people in 111 countries over an average of 95 days using smartphones. Here’s what the study found: Country Average steps per day Hong Kong 6,880 China 6,189 United Kingdom 5,444 Germany 5,205 France 5,141 Australia 4,491 Canada 4,819 United States 4,774 India 4,297 Indonesia 3,513 It’s not clear why the average number of steps per day varies from country to country. A range of factors likely play a role, including: obesity rates
climate
walkability of roads and sidewalks
income
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When calculating your calories burned per step, the number will depend on your weight and height. For instance, a typical 160-pound person of average height will burn about 40 calories per 1,000 steps. This is the equivalent of 0.04 calories per step. The charts below show you how many calories you'd burn in 1,000 steps, 5,000 steps, 10,000 steps, or more. Here is what you need to know about converting your steps to calories burned.
Convert Your Steps to Calories
To convert your steps to calories, you will need to know your approximate steps per mile. Most fitness trackers estimate your steps per mile from your height. An average number at a brisk walk or easy running pace is 2,000 to 2,400 steps per mile.
You also can measure your stride length to find your steps per mile or count your steps over a measured mile for greater accuracy. Alternatively, you can use a steps per mile chart, along with your height and weight, to estimate calories burned at various step counts. The calorie numbers are based on metabolic equivalents (MET) research, taking an average of the calories burned at walking speeds from 2 to 4 miles per hour.
Here are some charts that are based on height and weight. These will give you an approximate number of calories burned per step.
Height 6 Feet and Above
Use the chart below to estimate calories burned by step count if your height is 6 feet or more. This assumes that you take 2,000 steps per mile.
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