Do you really need to walk 10,000 steps a day?

Ever since step counters began showing up everywhere — on fitness trackers, smartwatches, phones — walking 10,000 steps a day, or about five miles, has become a low-key fitness craze. But while it’s easy to get hung up on the 10,000 number — it’s impressive sounding! — health benefits can happen at nearly any step count. Here’s what to know.

While it’s a great goal, you don’t need to make ityourgoal. A 2022 meta-analysis found thatwalking 6,000 to 8,000 steps per dayis plenty to reduce your risk for premature death if you are over 60 years old.

More recently, a meta-analysis published inThe Lancet Public Health, which reviewed 31 different studies on the health impacts of step counters, found significant benefits at 7,000 steps compared with just 2,000 steps. The key is consistency, since being active on a daily basis can reduce the risk for chronic health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and depression.

If you’re just getting going and are feeling overwhelmed by such a big step count, experts say you should start small. “For someone who does not usually get a lot of steps in the day, I encourage them to start with a realistic increase — say, 1,000 or 2,000 steps more than they would normally get” says Michelle Cardel, M.S., R.D., Ph.D., chief nutrition officer at WeightWatchers. “Once they are able to reach this goal and sustain it, they could increase their target to work towards their next milestone. While it may be tempting to set big, lofty goals, setting smaller ones is more beneficial to the journey.”

Walking around 7,000 steps a day can deliver some serious health benefits, like helping control blood sugar, reducing body fat, and improving your cardiovascular health. But you shouldn’t have an all-or-nothing mindset. Any amount of daily walking can help improve your physical and mental well-being, so you’re still making progress if your daily step goal is closer to 5,000.