In the time it takes to listen to a song or two on your iPod, you can make one simple change that may save your heart. Just five minutes of easy activity might protect your ticker from the harmful effects of prolonged sitting, a study from Indiana University found.
In the study, men who sat without moving their lower body had a 50 percent decrease in the functioning of an artery in their leg after only one hour. That dip continued the entire time they remained sitting, which was three hours total. And that’s important, because impaired blood vessel functioning is a major risk factor for heart problems.
But when the men took a break every hour for a five-minute walk, they didn’t show any decline in their artery’s functioning during the three hours.
Sitting for a prolonged period of time can cause the blood in your legs to become thicker and stickier. When that happens, inflammation can occur, which may lead to poorer functioning of the artery. But walking boosts your blood flow and prevents that increase in thickness, says study author Saurabh S. Thosar, Ph.D.
What’s more, you don’t have to move at an all-out intensity during those five minutes to get the benefit. In the study, the men walked at a slow pace—only two miles per hour.
“Even light activity involves muscle contractions which increases blood flow,” says Thosar.
So every hour, take a stroll to the bathroom, the water cooler, or to a colleague to discuss something—anything that’ll keep you moving for those five minutes
Source: menshealth
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