Walking is one of the easiest, most accessible forms of exercise. It can help you improve mood, and generate ideas while providing many health benefits. Irrespective of the reason you choose to walk daily, tracking your steps can motivate you to keep moving and help you stay consistent with your habits to achieve your fitness goals.

This article will guide you through the basics of tracking your walking distance, the different methods you can use to track your run or steps and apps that will not only help you track your walking or running distance but also offer financial rewards.

Understanding steps and distance

Many people get confused between tracking distance and tracking steps. Most health professionals advise walking 8,000-10,000 steps each day. Depending upon your stride length, which varies from person to person, the distance you need to walk can also vary. On average, the steps in 1 km are approximately 1250 to 1,500. A shorter stride will require more number of steps to cover the same distance compared to a longer stride.

How can you track your walking distance?

There are multiple ways to track your distance. You can use a simple pedometer, a fitness tracker, a smartwatch or even just your mobile phone to track your distance and steps.

Pedometers

It is the simplest device with just one function of tracking your steps. It is a battery-operated device that you can turn on when you go for a walk and it will tell you the number of steps you walked. Some advanced models also include distance apart from the number of steps walked.

Fitness watches and trackers

There are several fitness trackers and smartwatches from brands such as Fitbit, Apple, Google, etc that you can use to track your steps. These trackers not only measure your steps but also give you insights such as distance covered, heartbeat and calories burned depending upon data such as your height and weight.

Mapping Websites

If you take the same route or want to plan a route for the desired distance, you can use websites like Google Maps to calculate the distance along that route.

Using Apps to track your walking distance

With almost everyone owning a smartphone, mobile apps are among the most convenient ways to track your walking distance, steps and other parameters like walking speed and calories burned.

Some apps let you track your distance passively, which means the app runs in the background and tracks your daily movement without needing to start the app. While in others, you need to actively start the app when you’re going for a walk or run.

Here are some popular apps that can help you track your progress:

Google Fit

It’s a simple Android app that tracks your walking distance, and calories burned. It integrates well with other fitness apps and devices, making it a versatile choice for health tracking.

Apple Health

It is a native fitness-tracking app for iOS. Similar to Google Fit, it also integrates with other fitness apps and devices on iPhone.

Strava

It is available on both Android and iOS and is known for its community and social networking features, Strava is great for tracking walks, runs, and cycling. It offers detailed activity reports and allows you to connect with friends.

MapMyWalk

Available on Android and iOS, this app by Under Armour uses your phone’s GPS to track your walking routes, distance, pace, and more. It also offers a variety of training plans and the ability to save your favourite routes.

Fitbit App

Even if you don’t own a Fitbit device, you can use the app to track your steps, distance, and active minutes using your Android or iOS device sensors.

Getting paid to walk

While it’s great to know your walking distance, steps and calorie data, it may get boring after a while and not really help you in building a daily walking habit.

But what if you can not only track your distance but get paid for walking daily? With the rise of web3 platforms, this dream has become a reality with apps that gamify your daily movement and can pay you real money if you stay consistent with your walking habits and complete your daily goals.

Fitmint is one of the pioneer apps in the web3 move-to-earn space that pays you to walk daily. The app goes beyond working as a fitness tracker and makes daily walking or running a fun and rewarding activity.

The gameplay starts with a 3D personalised avatar that you can customise and upgrade just by walking daily. As you complete your daily goals, you level up in the game along with an increased earning potential. Fitmint also allows you to connect with other people worldwide and participate in challenges to make the process even more fun while offering real financial rewards.

With engaging gameplay and powerful community, Fitmint offers you the best way to build a daily walking or running habit while making some money.

Tips for Accurate Tracking

Calibrate Your App or Device

While the accuracy of tracking depends upon the sensors in the device, spending some time setting up the tracker can be helpful. Entering personal details such as your height and weight can help the app estimate your stride length, calories burned etc with better accuracy.

Consistency is Key

Depending upon where you keep or wear your tracker, the tracking data can change. Wearing the tracker in the same position (e.g., on your wrist, clipped to your waist) each day can ensure consistency in the data recorded.

Update Regularly

Check for updates regularly or keep automatic updates turned on your tracker to take the benefits of the latest features and improvements in accuracy.

Conclusion

Walking is one of the best ways to keep yourself fit, prevent chronic diseases and improve overall well-being. Tracking your daily movement can help you measurably achieve your fitness goals. Whether you prefer a simple pedometer, or an advanced smartwatch or want to gamify your movement, there’s a way that can fit your lifestyle and preferences. Instead of simply walking, choosing one of these methods can add a fun element to your daily walking routine while helping you set goals, monitor progress and keep you motivated for a healthier lifestyle.