Are you a fitness fanatic eager to know how many miles on a bike equal 10,000 steps? Don’t worry; we’ve got it covered for you!
Bicycling for 5 miles equals 10,000 steps. Depending on your speed, it can be around 46 minutes to 1 hour of moderate-intense biking.
Besides, this article will also help you understand:
- How do you calculate bike miles to steps?
- Should you walk 10,000 steps or cycle for 1 hour?
- How to calculate stride length?
Table of Contents
How do you calculate bike miles to steps?
There are multiple ways you can calculate bike miles to steps making it easier to take part in step challenges.
Do a manual calculation
For a quick calculation, cycling for an hour at a steady pace is about 8,000 steps, and a moderate pace is equivalent to 10,000 steps. Hence, making it easy to calculate bike miles in steps.
According to research, the average stride of a person is 2.2 to 2.5 feet, i.e., women 26 inches and men 30 inches. But also, the stride length can vary depending on height, age, terrain, and others.
A mile covers about 5,280 feet, and it will take an average person to walk 2000 steps to reach a mile. So, to determine the steps that you will walk a mile, calculate your stride length in a mile and divide it by 5,280.
Example: If you’ve cycled for 5 miles, 5 x 5,280 per mile is 26,000 steps. If your stride length is 2.2 feet, 26,000/ 2.2 is 11.818 steps.
Use calculator
A straightforward way to calculate your steps on a bike is to use a calculator to count.
Using an Omni calculator, if your stride length is 2.5, you will take 2,112 steps in 1 mile, which will take approximately 10,560 steps in 5 miles. So if you’re biking for over 10 miles, you will cover about 21,120 steps.
Likewise, with the help of a calculator, you can find the exact number of steps that will take you to reach a mile.
Count your calories
Another great way to count your steps is to check how many calories you’ve burned using an exercise bike.
A mile covers about 2,000 to 2,500 steps depending on your stride length, body size, and speed, and walking a mile can burn 100 calories. On average, a person can burn 400 to 500 calories by taking 10,000 steps daily. Similarly, if you’ve burned over 400 calories, you’ve taken at least 10,000 steps.
Use a fitness tracker or activity monitors
Nowadays, several fitness trackers like Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin, and Samsung Galaxy Fit enable you to monitor your activity at the gym or during exercise.
However, the downside is that these devices calculate your activity based on your arm movement and fail to record the steps you take while on a bike.
Hence, you can consider attaching your fitness tracker or monitor on your ankle to resolve the issue. In doing this, the device can help you track the miles covered and the steps taken.
You can also use workout apps like Strava or MapMyRun to provide a detailed analysis of burned calories and heart rate for an enhanced workout.
Convert exercise minutes into steps
If you want to count your steps every minute instead of using the bicycle speed, you can use this method:
- Cycling for 1 minute at low intensity = 85 steps
- Cycling for 1 minute at moderate intensity = 150 steps
- Cycling for 1 minute at high intensity = 200 steps
- Cycling for 1 minute at maximum intensity = 265 steps
If calculating steps in miles or stride length is a hassle, you can use this simple method. If you’re riding at moderate intensity (150 steps a minute) for over an hour, you can hit 10,000 steps.
How to calculate stride length?
It’s slightly complicated calculating stride length. You should be ready with a few items like measuring tape, chalk, a pencil, or a marker to do this task.
- Mark your position and take 10 steps at your average pace.
- Then mark the place where you stop.
- Measure the distance between starting and the end to calculate your stride length.
- Now, to get your stride length, divide the no. of distance covered by the steps you took from start to end.
- Let’s say your 10 steps covered 20 feet. Then, divide the distance feet by the steps taken, i.e., 20/10=2 feet.
Using these steps, you can easily calculate your stride feet.
Here’s another simple example:
If you’ve cycled 5 miles, multiply 5 x 5280 = 26,400. Then divide by your stride length, i.e., 2 feet.
So, 26,400/2=13,200 steps.
To get your stride length to precision, you can go for a longer distance and use the same steps.
Should you walk 10,000 steps or cycle for 1 hour?
It depends on your fitness goal. Cycling burns more calories, and taking 10,000 steps daily keeps your bone healthy. Either way, both cycling and walking benefit you in different ways.
Undeniably, walking takes more time. If your goal is to reach 10,000 steps, reaching your target will typically take about 1 hour and 40 minutes. By cycling, you can easily reach your target in an hour.
Cycling at a steady pace for 11 miles an hour can burn 250 calories, while going for a light walk at 3.5 miles an hour can burn 154 calories. However, the number of calories you burn depends on your workout’s intensity.
If you want to achieve better results within a short period, you should consider cycling.
Cycling vs. Walking
Cycling
Cycling is much more extensive compared to walking. According to WebMD, bike riding for an hour can burn up to 400 calories and strengthens your hips and legs. Not only that, but it can also help you get back in shape and is gentle on your body.
- Cycling can help you recover from joint injuries, which is ideal for people with arthritis.
- Cycling prevents obesity.
- Cycling is a great cardio exercise. It makes your heart stronger.
Millions of people in the US ride their bikes to work. Aside from health benefits, cycling is fun and a great way to enjoy the fresh air. It can be on a road, terrain, or mountain.
The advantage of riding a bike is that it effectively strengthens the lower parts of your body and makes it easier for you to do activities such as squats or lunges.
And most importantly, it keeps you relaxed and energized.
Walking
Like cycling, walking also has its benefits and advantages. A study says that taking 10,000 steps a day helps improve dementia, various types of cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. Also, walking at a faster pace rewards you with better health benefits.
- It helps in maintaining a healthy weight.
- Increases your energy and strengthens your muscles.
- It improves your memory and sleep.
Walking is a popular form of exercise suitable for all age groups. It requires no equipment and can be a quick walk to the garden, to your office, and neighborhood. But it’s recommended that you regularly walk to keep up with your pace and speed.
Does cycling count as steps?
Yes. The time you spend on a cycle counts as steps, but fitness trackers don’t show accurate results. Hence, you can use a conversion table or calculate the time and miles you have covered to count your steps.
Do you need 10,000 steps a day?
Most fitness tracking/monitor devices recommend taking 10,000 steps daily to improve your health and well-being, but it’s not essential.
According to Harvard Medical School, around 7,500 steps a day are considered ideal. Also, an average of 4,400 steps a day is good enough if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Although 10,000 steps is a good number to keep you in shape unless you have a goal to reach or are looking for faster results to achieve your desired body, you can, of course, skip it.
Should older adults take 10,000 steps a day?
Older people don’t require 10,000 steps a day. According to a study, the average step count of an average healthy older adult daily is 2,000 to 9,000.
Also, taking 100 steps in a minute for 30 minutes can provide essential health benefits.
As for younger people, at least 10,000 steps or more with intense training is ideal for burning fat and losing weight. But, being realistic, 10,000 steps are impossible for older adults.
Older adults trying to improve their health and well-being by walking should consider going for moderate walks. It’s recommended that you start slowly to reach your goals by taking a few 10 to 15-minute walks around your house.