How Far Did I walk – Learn How To Measure Your Walking Distance

If you are into walking as a form of exercise, you may want to know how far you have walked. Luckily, there are several tools you can use to track the distance you have walked. Some of these include Mobile phone apps, GPS Watches, or step counters. There is also the use of computer mapping if you don’t like using technology on your walk.

Either way, there is a plethora of tools available to measure the distance you walk.

In this article, we look at the best tool to measure your walking distance (How far did I walk?). We also discuss how you can track this in either kilometers or miles. So if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of each way to measure your distance, keep reading to find out more.

 

How to Measure Walking Distance, Time, and Speed?

Measuring the distance you have walked, or are going to walk can be helpful for numerous reasons. You may be trying to walk a certain distance each day, training for an event, or just simply want to log your exercise. Either way, many tools can help you with this. Below are some of the most popular.

Mobile Phone App to Measure Walking Distance

Years ago you needed a dedicated GPS unit to measure distance. However, that technology has trickled down into not only our watches but our phones too. Because of this, and the development of smartphones, there are plenty of apps available that can be downloaded to track your movement.

Most of these apps are available on Google Play or the App store are able to track your speed, distance, elevation gain, and some of them, heart rate. Besides these main measurements, you are able to track where you have walked, helping you to see the route you have taken. It can also help if you get lost on your walking, navigating you back to where you started from.

Because of this, using a mobile phone app to track your walking becomes one of the most convenient ways to track your movement, as there is no need for a separate unit. Such as a watch or GPS unit.

However, there are some downsides to using a mobile phone app to track your walking distance. The accuracy of the GPS largely depends on how well the communication with the GPS satellites is. To get accurate data, you will need to have a constant connection to multiple GPS satellites. Because if you lose connection to any one of these satellites you may experience a sudden jump in distance or miss vital recordings. You also may have a problem navigating if the phone loses contact too.

Then there is the issue of tall buildings if you live in a largely populated area. Buildings or even hills can affect the accuracy of the GPS accuracy. Often causing a short loss in signal.

However, it is important to know that GPS technology is constantly developing and the loss of connecting to a satellite is becoming less and less common.

 

Best Apps to Measure Walking Distance

Below are some of the best free apps to measure walking distance, time, and speed both outside and on a treadmill.

– Map My Walk
– Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS by Abvio
– Fitbit App MobileTracker
– Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance
– Strava
– Komoot

GPS Watches that Measure Walking Distance

Just like mobile phones and apps, smartwatches, GPS watches and fitness bands are all using GPS technology now.

These types of watches allow you to leave your phone at home during your walk and still provide you with distance, speed, elevation, and other measurements.

There are plenty of manufacturers that develop smartwatches to measure walking speed and distance. Some of these brands are:

– Garmin
– Suunto
– Fitbit
– Apple Watch
– Samsung Watch
– Polar
– Kogan
– TomTom

Many of these companies above also make watches for runners and cyclists. However, these watches can still track your walking, as they all display both speed and distance.

For some people, you may want to track more than speed, distance, or your route. This is where smartwatches and GPS watches outperform mobile phone apps. They can measure your heart rate. Either from the wrist or through a band placed around your chest.

Luckily with using a GPS or smartwatch to record your exercise, there aren’t as many downsides to using a mobile app. However, the watches are generally expensive, and because they rely on a strong GPS signal, just like a mobile phone they can lose signal. Which means they might not always provide the most accurate measurement.

Using Online Maps To Measure Distance

Online mapping tools like google maps, MapMyWalk, and Mapometer all allow you to create and measure your walking route online. Using these online mapping tools you can draw the route you are planning to walk and measure the course that way, without the need to take a phone or watch with you.

Because most of these mapping tools have both street and a satellite view, you are able to get relatively accurate results when measuring the distance of your route. However, most of these tools require a paid subscription to get the most accurate results. With a premium subscription, you can also download the route and upload it onto your phone. This allows you to follow the course from your phone that doesn’t rely on the GPS unit.

Some of the best mapping tools online are:

– Mapometer
– Plot a Route
– Komoot
– Mapmywalk
– Google maps

Why there are many positives to measuring your walk with a mapping tool, it can become tedious if you are planning for a longer distance. You also need to make sure that you don’t deviate from the course you have planned during your walk, otherwise, your results won’t be accurate any longer.

Pedometers and Fitness Trackers For Measuring Distance

Last but not least is Pedometers and fitness trackers. Pedometers have been around since the dawn of time and used to be widely used by walkers all over the world. However, since the development of smartphones and watches, Pedometers have taken a back seat. However, there are a small number of people that still use them to track the distance they walk.

A pedometer is a tool that measures your steps. Then it converts the number of steps by the length of your stride to give you the distance you have travelled. Automatically showing you the distance you have walked.

For a Pedometer to be reliable, you need to have a consistent stride length. It also means the measurement of your stride needs to be accurate, otherwise, your distance reading may be way off.

One of the positives though is that pedometers and fitness trackers are relatively inexpensive. They are easy to wear and typically have a longer battery life than phones and watches.

Conclusion

So, if you are wanting to know how far did I walk? There are plenty of options available for you to track your walking distance. Some devices will suit some people more than others, depending on whether you want speed and distance, or other things like heart rate, elevation, and temperature.

Either way you will now be able to track and plan the route for your next walk.