For many older women, the 10,000-step-a-day paradigm may seem daunting, but a new study suggests just 7,500 confers the same mortality-lowering benefit.

In a multiyear randomized clinical trial, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that senior resident physicians who work no more than 16 consecutive hours get an average of 8 percent more sleep than those who work extended-duration shifts of 24 hours or more.