Breaking up desk time with 10-minute walks protect employees from vascular dysfunction

The impact of sitting on vascular health has been a growing concern for many employees who are developing sedentary lifestyles. Scientists have found that a 10-minute walk after six straight hours of sitting can restore the vascular health.

New study shows that prolonged period of sitting in an eight-hour work day can greatly reduce the blood flow to the legs. The total of six hours in front of the desk has been found to affect the blood flow in the popliteal, or the artery in the lower leg.

A group of healthy young men were analysed in the study before and after a period of prolonged sitting to assess their vascular function. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine then asked the participants to take a short walk, and discovered that a 10-minute walk could reverse the vascular dysfunction and improve blood flow.

"It's easy for all of us to be consumed by work and lose track of time, subjecting ourselves to prolonged periods of inactivity," said Jaume Padilla, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. The researchers noted that with many workplaces promoting sedentary lifestyles, it is important to recognise the effects of sitting on vascular health.

It has also been found that the friction of blood flow on the artery wall, called shear stress, which is significant for the arterial health, tend to decrease because of the inactivity of the legs. Padilla added that reduced levels of shear stress could be harmful as well. It can also reduce the ability of the artery to expand.

The researchers said that breaking up desk time with a short walk can highly reverse the negative effect of prolonged sitting to vascular blood vessels. In addition, previous studies show that sitting less can lead to good metabolic and cardiovascular health.

However, additional research is required to identify if repeated periods of poor vascular function with prolonged sitting could lead to long-term vascular complications, Padilla stated.

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