Treadmill steps to miles

[SunsetRunner]

When I run outside and use GPS my step count is approximately 2000+ To equal a mile. When I select treadmill as exercise a run or walk of over 9000 steps comes in only at 2 miles.  Why would it not use my usual step count to convert to miles? 

[MarciM]

Hi @SunsetRunner 

Welcome to the forum. When walking/running outside with GPS turned on, your Fitbit isn't using your step count to calculate distance/miles. It is using the GPS data. On a treadmill, it is using only step data, which will be different. However, it shouldn't be 7K steps different. You may want to adjust you stride length by going to your Fitbit Dashboard and edit, settings. It's also worth noting that typically stride length is shorter on a treadmill, thus it will take a more steps to cover the same distance. 

[MrMarv]

@SunsetRunner -

I actually typed everything below five hours ago, the Fitbit server was pitching a fit at the time.

GPS assisted walks do not take steps into consideration and therefore do not take your stride length, which appears to be approximately 30 inches, into consideration.

Since the treadmill exercise does not use GPS, for obvious reasons, it calculates distance using the formula steps * stride_length. From what you have stated, it sounds like your stride length is set to about 14 inches.

To verify your stride length:

• Tap the account icon at the top left of the Today screen
• Scroll down, if required, and tap on "Activity & Wellness
• Tap "Exercise"
• Scroll down past all of the auto-recognized exercises and tap "Stride Length"
• There you will see if "Set Automatically" is turned on and what the calculated stride length is.
• If it it not turned on, then the stride length is fixed and it is shown, as well.

I have a fixed stride length of 30 inches and my treadmill sessions distances are consistent with that 30 inch step. I just verified two weeks worth of two-a-days on the treadmill and they all range between 29.6 and 30.1 which is understandable with miles being rounded to two decimal places and steps not being rounded at all.

My virtually null difference isn't anything like your huge difference you are reporting.

Good luck and welcome to the boards.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain and help me fix this. Greatly appreciated!!

enjoy the weekend!

m

[SunsetRunner]

Thank you Marci! Appreciate your help for fixing this! 

Enjoy the weekend !

m