A 10-minute walk reverses the vascular damage of 6 hours of sitting, study finds
Though it was a relatively small study, 11 participants, and it was not a large segment of society (all young, white males), the study performed at University of Missouri in the US is hopeful evidence that it really isn't that difficult to undo vascular damage on a daily basis.
May people spend their days sitting down while working. Studies find that prolonged sitting can do serious damage to the body, but after measuring the vitality of the participants 6 hours after sitting, they noticed significant decrease in the vascular blood flow of the legs.
Specifically, the artery in the leg called the popliteal seemed to have lowered blood flow. “When you have decreased blood flow, the friction of the flowing blood on the artery wall, called shear stress, is also reduced,” said Padilla. “Moderate levels of shear stress are good for arterial health, whereas low levels of shear stress appear to be detrimental and reduce the ability of the artery to dilate. Dilation is a sign of vascular health. The more the artery can dilate and respond to stimuli, the healthier it is.”
Fortunately, they found that a 10 minute walk, at the participants pace of choice, seemed to completely undo the damage caused by sitting around.
Though the study, alone, is not proof, it is part of a growing body of evidence that short bursts of movement can help you overcome the health detriment of long periods of sitting.
http://www.sciencealert.com/watch-the-damage-sitting-does-to-your-body-explained-in-60-seconds