Download ArticleDetermine the distance you travel with each step and stride
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This article was co-authored by Kai Ng and by How.com.vn staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Kai Ng is a USATF and RRCA Certified Running Coach at Run Coach Kai. Kai has competed in over 55 races and over 15 marathons, and has trained with 16x USA and World record holder Patti Catalano Dillonso. He specializes in coaching runners of all levels and showing people that everyone can be a runner. Kai is committed to helping his clients reach their goals by showing them how to run with proper form and holding them accountable to train consistently.
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These days, many fitness devices ask for your stride length to help them calibrate. You may also want to find your stride length to better gauge your running or walking efficiency. Luckily, measuring your stride is simple and straightforward, and there are a few different ways to do so. We’ll show you how to find it by counting steps, measuring the distance traveled in a set number of steps, and estimating stride length based on your height.
Quick Stride Length Calculation
To find your average stride length, measure the distance you travel in 10 steps. Then, divide that distance by 10 to find your step length, or the distance traveled from 1 foot to the other. Multiply your answer by 2 to find stride length.
Steps
Determine a route that covers 20–400 m (66–1,312 ft). RRCA certified running coach Kai Ng explains that if you know how far you’ll walk or run, you can find how many steps it takes to cover that distance, and use that information to find stride length.[1] Use a meter stick or distance counter tool to plot out a course that’s anywhere from 20–400 m (66–1,312 ft) long, or use a run tracking app to do the same.- Ng recommends finding a running track, which are usually 400 m (1,300 ft) long per lap.[2]
- Note that the actual distance you use can vary, as long as you’re sure of how long it is. You might plot a route that’s 0.5–1 mile (0.80–1.61 km) long, if you like.
Run or walk the set distance and track your number of steps. Stand at the start of the route, and turn your pedometer on, making sure to reset it to 0. Then, off you go! As you move, the pedometer will automatically keep track of your steps. Go the full distance, then stop immediately when you’re done, not taking any additional steps.[3]- Note that your stride length while walking is different from your stride length while running, so stick to just one or the other for the full distance, depending on which you want to find.
- For instance, it may take you 112 steps to walk 100 metres (330 ft), or 2,000 steps to cover 1 mile (1.6 km).
- If you don’t have a pedometer, you might use a phone app, or you might manually count your steps, but stay focused and don’t lose track!
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Divide your distance by your number of steps to find step length. Check your pedometer to see how many steps you took, then divide the distance you walked or ran by the number of steps. This number is your step length, not your stride length. More on that in a moment.[4]- For example, if you jogged a total of 100 metres (330 ft) in 112 steps, your step length is 0.89 metres (2.9 ft).
- For the most accurate results, perform this test 2-3 more times, then find the average of your results by adding them together and dividing by the number of times you tested.
Multiply your step length by 2 to find your stride length. Here’s that caveat! Scientifically, step length is the distance you travel when stepping from one foot to the other, but stride length is the distance just 1 foot travels between lifting it and putting it back down. In other words, you take 2 steps per 1 stride.[5] That’s why now, multiply your step length by 2 to find your stride length.- For example, if your step length is 0.89 metres (2.9 ft), your stride length is 1.78 metres (5.8 ft).
- If you’re finding stride length to help calculate a pedometer or other fitness device, check the device’s manual to see if they count stride length as just a step, or a full stride. Different devices may measure this differently!
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Pick a starting place and mark it clearly. Draw a line with sidewalk chalk on your driveway, mark your spot with a pen, or use any household object to indicate your place.[6]
Jack Daniels, Olympic Track CoachStride length is best measured by running at a comfortable pace and counting the number of strides in 100 meters. To do this, find a marked 100-meter stretch of road or track and run it several times, counting your strides each time. The average of these counts will be your stride length.
Take 10 natural steps forward starting with your dominant foot. Count your steps from 1 to 10 as you walk forward, and walk naturally so that each step is about the same.[7]- Because this method counts just a few steps, it works best to measure walking stride length. To measure running stride length, increase the steps to 50 or even 100. Just be sure to swap this number into your final calculation.
Mark and measure the distance between your starting and stopping point. After 10 steps, stop and mark your position from the toe of your forward foot. Then measure the distance you walked. Start your measurements where you took your first step, and use a ruler, yardstick, or measuring tape to find the distance to your last step.[8]- For the most accurate measurement, measure in inches or centimeters, rather than feet or meters. Round up or down to the nearest whole number.
- For example, the distance may be 180.3 inches (458 cm), which rounds down to 180 inches (460 cm).
Divide your distance in inches or centimeters by 10 to find step length. Once you have the total number of inches or centimeters you traveled, divide it by 10 (or however many strides you decided to take), and the number you get is your step length![9] Remember, this is your step length, not your stride length!- For instance, if your distance is 180 in (460 cm), you will get 18 in (46 cm) after you divide by 10. Your step length is 18 in (46 cm) or 1.5 ft (0.46 m).
- Repeat this 2-3 times to find an accurate average. To calculate your average, add up the total of all your stride lengths, and divide them by the total number of times measured.
Multiply your step length by 2 to find your stride length. Remember that scientifically, step length is the distance you travel when moving from one foot to the other, but stride length is the distance just 1 foot travels between lifting it and putting it back down, meaning you take 2 steps per 1 stride.[10] That’s why now, you’ll multiply your step length by 2 to find your stride length.- If you’re finding stride length to help calculate a pedometer or other fitness device, check the device’s manual to see if they count stride length as just a step, or a full stride. Different devices may measure this differently!
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Measure your height to the closest centimeter. To measure your height, stand with your back straight against the wall, and make a small mark at the crown of your head with a pencil. Grab a tape measure, and measure the distance from your mark to the floor. Round your measurement to the closest centimeter.- If you don't want to make a mark on the wall, stick your pencil at the crown of your head (eraser end), and back away from the wall with your pencil still in place. Then, measure from your pencil to the floor.
- Grab a friend to help if you are having trouble measuring your height yourself.
Multiply your height by 0.82 to find your approximate stride length. The average ratio of step length to height is about 0.41.[11] A “stride,” scientifically, is 2 steps, so if you multiply your height by 0.41 x 2, or 0.82, you’ll get a fair estimate of your own stride length. Remember that estimating stride length by height is a quick way to find an approximation, but this method is not the most accurate for individual stride lengths.- If your height measured to 165 cm (65 in), multiply this by 0.82 for a total of 135.3 cm (53.3 in).
- Or, multiply your height by just 0.41 to find your approximate step length, as opposed to stride length.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionAre there any other ways I can do this?
Kai NgKai Ng is a USATF and RRCA Certified Running Coach at Run Coach Kai. Kai has competed in over 55 races and over 15 marathons, and has trained with 16x USA and World record holder Patti Catalano Dillonso. He specializes in coaching runners of all levels and showing people that everyone can be a runner. Kai is committed to helping his clients reach their goals by showing them how to run with proper form and holding them accountable to train consistently.
Certified Running CoachOne option is to find some dry ground, get the bottoms of your shoes a little wet, and then walk or run on the dry ground. Then you can measure the marks your shoes leave to determine your stride length. - QuestionHow do you measure your stride for Fitbit?
How.com.vn Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerHow.com.vn Staff EditorStaff AnswerUse any of the techniques listed here. For example, take at least 20 steps, then measure the distance you walked. Divide the distance by the number of steps you took. Once you know your stride length, enter the Fitbit app and navigate to “Stride Length” under “Advanced Settings.” Adjust your stride length to accurately reflect your measurements. - QuestionWhat is the average stride length by height?How.com.vn Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerHow.com.vn Staff EditorStaff AnswerThe average woman’s stride length is 0.413 times her height in inches. The average man’s stride length is 0.415 times his height in inches. For example, a woman who is 5’9” would have a stride length of about 28” (71 cm) on average, while a man of the same height would have a stride length of about 29” (73.7 cm).
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Tips
- For the most accurate results, avoid measuring with a treadmill, which doesn’t provide exact distances from start to stop.[12]Thanks
- To find how many strides it’ll take to travel a mile, divide 5280 (the number of feet in a mile) by your stride length in feet. Divide 5280 by your step length in feet to determine how many steps it’ll take.Thanks
- When you measure your stride, make sure you are on flat, level ground for best results. Running tracks or sidewalks work well!Thanks
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References
- ↑ Kai Ng. Certified Running Coach. Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.
- ↑ Kai Ng. Certified Running Coach. Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.
- ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-estimating-height-walk/
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/stride-length
- ↑ https://ouhsc.edu/bserdac/dthompso/web/gait/knmatics/stride.htm
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/take-it-in-stride
- ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/take-it-in-stride
- ↑ https://cms-tc.pbskids.org/parents/SciGirls_takeitinstride.pdf
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/stride-length
About This Article
Certified Running Coach
This article was co-authored by Kai Ng and by How.com.vn staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Kai Ng is a USATF and RRCA Certified Running Coach at Run Coach Kai. Kai has competed in over 55 races and over 15 marathons, and has trained with 16x USA and World record holder Patti Catalano Dillonso. He specializes in coaching runners of all levels and showing people that everyone can be a runner. Kai is committed to helping his clients reach their goals by showing them how to run with proper form and holding them accountable to train consistently. This article has been viewed 170,998 times.
Co-authors: 11
Updated: April 24, 2024
Views: 170,998
Categories: Measuring and Marking Tools
Article SummaryX
To measure your stride length, start by marking a starting place on the floor. Stand on the starting place, then count 10 natural steps. Once you reach the last step, mark the spot on the floor where the edge of your shoe is. Next, use a measuring tape to measure the distance between the two spots on the floor that you’ve marked. Then, divide the distance by 10 to find your length per stride. For an even more accurate measurement, repeat this process 2-3 times and take the average. To learn how to use a pedometer to find your stride length, keep reading!
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