Work out how many kilometers a given number of steps equals, based on your stride length.
Stride length varies with height, leg length and walking speed — a rule of thumb is that stride length in cm is roughly 41–43% of height in cm, but this varies from person to person. Running normally produces longer strides than walking, so consider using different values depending on activity type for a more accurate result.
Walk or run a known distance (for example 100 meters) and count the number of steps along the way. Divide the distance in cm by the number of steps to find your average stride length.
No, running normally produces significantly longer strides than regular walking, since there's a "flight phase" in the air between each step. Use a longer stride length if the steps mainly come from running.
The 10,000 daily steps goal originally stems from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s, not from medical research specifically. More recent studies suggest health benefits can be achieved at lower step counts, but 10,000 remains a widely used and easy-to-remember reference point.