Why these calculators exist
Most step and calorie charts online quote a single average number — "2,000 steps per mile", "10,000 steps = 500 calories" — that fits almost nobody. These tools take your real height, weight and pace and apply the same peer-reviewed equations used in exercise physiology: the ACSM walking metabolic equation for energy, and a height-based stride model for distance and steps.
They're especially handy if you use an under-desk walking pad, where phones and watches badly under-count steps. Everything is estimated on population averages for general fitness — not medical advice — but it will get you far closer to the truth than a flat multiplier.
