Several studies have been conducted on the dangers of sitting for too long. According to experts, too much sedentary time increases risks for obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and even premature death.
A sedentary lifestyle reduces blood flow to the lower legs and slows down circulation. A new study published in the journal Experimental Physiology suggests taking a walk for at least 10 minutes could reverse the dangers of prolonged sitting.
"The prevalence of sedentary behavior in the workplace and increased daily sitting time are common to many professions," said study's lead author, Dr. Jaume Padilla in an email to Huffington Post. "This research not only has applications for employees who sit at desks, but also for truck drivers, airline passengers and anyone else who is seated for an extended time," the assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at University of Missouri added.
For the study, researchers checked the blood circulation in two blood vessels: the popliteal artery (lower leg) and brachial artery (upper arm) of 11 healthy men after sitting for six hours. Researchers found out that the blood flow in the popliteal artery dramatically reduced after prolonged sitting while several reductions were also found in the brachial artery.
"We were surprised that just six hours of sitting had such detrimental effects on their vascular function," Padilla wrote.
Researchers added that the blood circulation returned to normal levels when participants were asked to get up and walk for 10 minutes.
"While we were able to show that a short bout of walking can improve vascular health after sitting for roughly the equivalent of a typical workday, more research is needed to find out if repeated periods of reduced vascular function caused by sitting leads to long-term -- not just short-term -- vascular complications," Padilla explained.
Walking away from vascular problems is important to people who spend most of their office hours sitting at their desks. To avoid such risks, researchers advise to at least take a 10-minute break from the sedentary position by taking a walk, using a standing desk or a treadmill desk if available.
