(NEXSTAR) — You've likely been told you need to get thousands and thousands of steps a day, causing you to frequently check your smartwatch to make sure you hit that benchmark. If the 10,000 steps goal has felt strenuous, new research suggests you can take far fewer daily steps and still reap the reward.

The study, led by Professor Melody Ding of the University of Sydney and published in The Lancet Public Health last month, analyzed dozens of studies that have been conducted worldwide since 2014 to consider the impacts of how many steps you take daily and other health outcomes. That includes developing diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression, as well as dying from cancer or heart disease, a press release from the University explained.

Overall, according to Ding, the study found that aiming for 7,000 steps a day, far less than the aforementioned 10,000, is not only more realistic for some but just as beneficial.