If you are an avid elliptical machine user, you may have wondered at one point or another how many strides on an elliptical machine equates to a mile. Many elliptical machines do not factor or display miles into your workout, only distance or the total number of strides you’ve made. If you have one of these machines and want to know how many strides you make a mile, please read on.
Many people agree that it’s roughly 2,000 strides to travel a mile on the average elliptical machine. I’ve spent my fair share of time using elliptical machines in our gym and have often wondered if this estimate is accurate or not.
I’ve been able to run a mile on a treadmill around the 10 to 12 minute mark well into my 40s. When using the elliptical machine, it feels similar to that in terms of effort given and the time spent versus my time on the treadmill. But how can I truly know for sure? Let’s discuss factors that come into play when figuring out exactly how many strides on an elliptical machine make up a mile.
1. You Have To Measure the Stride Length Of Your Elliptical Machine
Does the stride length of any given elliptical machine matter when trying to calculate the number of strides in a mile? Absolutely. The shorter the stride length, the more total strides you will have to do to make up a full mile. Knowing the length of the strides on your machine will allow you to accurately calculate how many strides will make up a full mile.
2. Does the Speed I Travel At Make A Difference In How Many Strides Make a Mile?
No, the pace you stride doesn’t affect how many strides there are a mile. It will affect how quickly you reach your goal of a mile, two, or more. However, knowing how many strides it takes for you to reach a mile will give you an immediate goal to focus on during your elliptical workout and will motivate you to keep pushing toward new personal bests.
3. How Can I Determine How Many Strides Equal a Mile For My Own Elliptical Machine?
To know exactly how many strides you have to make to equal a mile on your personal elliptical machine, you will need to know the distance between the toe of the front pedal to the heel of the back pedal. The measurement between these two points can easily be done with a regular tape measure. This will allow you to accurately calculate the total strides needed to make a mile of distance.
4. What Will I Need in Order to Measure the Stride Length of My Machine?
The tools you’ll need to figure out the stride length of your elliptical machine will include a measuring tape and a calculator. It is simple to figure out the stride length of your own personal elliptical machine with just these two tools. Knowing the total number of inches that are in a mile will be important in this formula.
I Have the Measurement of My Elliptical Machine’s Stride Length, Now What’s Next?
Once you have the measurement between the toe of the front pedal to the heel of the back pedal, you are ready to calculate how many strides on your elliptical machine equals a mile in distance. There are 63,360 inches in a mile.
So, divide 63,360 by the stride length you measured for your machine. This will tell you how many strides there are in one mile for your elliptical machine. As an example, if your stride length is 30 inches, you need to complete 2112 strides to equal one mile.
Final Thoughts On the Number of Strides in a Mile on Your Elliptical Machine
Again, knowing the exact number of strides that make up a mile on an elliptical machine can vary. Using a simple formula based on the measurements of the elliptical machine you use will help you know exactly how many strides comprise a mile during your workout.
Give this method of calculating these measurements a try… it’s easy and accurate to figure this equation out. And if you really want to know how much weight you can lose on an elliptical machine, check out this article for the answer to that question!
