In people with high amounts of sedentary time, this number of steps reduced the risk of death by 39% and cardiovascular disease risk by 21%. At this level, you will see strong health benefits, even if you have a high amount of time. In those studies, the optimal amount of walking ranged from 4,400 steps per day to around 10,500 steps a day. During the day, use stairs instead of elevators and escalators.