The study found that an average of only 4,440 steps per day was “significantly associated with lower mortality rates.”

Many people — including a few health organizations — have bought into the idea that we need to walk 10,000 steps a day to be at our healthiest.

But, although it’s true that regular physical activity is essential for good health, that 10,000 figure is completely arbitrary. It originated not from a scientific study, but from a 1960s Japanese advertising promotion for the world’s first wearable step counter.

Given that too many people engage in too little exercise these days, recommending 10,000 steps a day without supporting evidence may seem innocuous. The problem is, however, that for many people, that figure appears so unreachable that they just give up on the idea of increasing their physical activity.

So, what is a reasonable daily goal? How many steps are associated with better health and a longer life?

A new study, published Wednesday in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that the number may be much lower than 10,000 — at least for older women (and perhaps for older men, too).

Specifically, the study found that an average of only 4,440 steps per day was “significantly associated with lower mortality rates.”

“Taking 10,000 steps a day can sound daunting, but we find that even a modest increase in steps taken is tied to significantly lower mortality in older women,” said I-Min Lee, the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at Harvard University, in a released statement.

“Our study adds to a growing understanding of the importance of physical activity for health, clarifies the number of steps related to lower mortality and amplifies the message: Step more — even a little more is helpful,” she added.

Whether or not the findings apply to younger people is less clear. “For a younger age group, it might take more steps,” Lee said.

The most important take-home message from this study, however, is not about specific number. It’s about being physically active.

As Lee told Scutti: “If you do nothing, do something. Get your steps up to 4,500 and you will start seeing benefits. For people who are willing to do more, by all means.”

“And if it makes you feel good to do 10,000 steps versus 7,500, I say, ‘Go for it!’”