Short walks reduce the harm from sitting too long

A study by the University of Indiana showed that several short five-minute walks can significantly reduce the damage to the arteries in the legs from prolonged sitting.

While in a seated position for long periods of time is associated with risk factors such as increased cholesterol levels and increased waist circumference that can lead to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. When people sit, slack muscles are unable to contract efficiently and pump blood to the heart. Blood stagnates in the legs and affect the endothelial function of arteries or the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow.

Physicians of Indiana the first who experimentally demonstrated such effects. Saurabh Thosar: "We have shown that prolonged sitting impairs endothelial function, which is an early marker of cardiovascular diseases, and that the interruptions prevent the decline of this function."

Study participants who walked for 5 minutes every hour during the three-hour sitting, showed that their arterial function remains the same, without falling in the course of the experiment. Thosar says that this contributes to an increase in muscle activity I.

"Adults sit for approximately eight hours a day," says the researcher. "The deterioration of endothelial function is significant after just one hour of sitting. It was interesting to see how physical activity can help in preventing this violation."

In the tests involved 11 healthy men aged 20-35 who participated in two randomized trials. In one study, they sat for three hours without moving. The researchers used the cuff for blood pressure measurement and ultrasound technology to measure the functionality of the femoral artery.

In the second study, the men sat for three hours but also walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes at a speed of 2 miles per hour, at intervals of half an hour, 1.5 and 2.5 hours. The researchers measured the functionality of the femoral artery, and in another test.

Source: nauka24news.ru/