The harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle continue to be demonstrated and in particular on blood circulation. Indeed, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to an alteration in the transport of blood in the body, which increases the risk of cardiovascular illnesses. A new study, published in Experimental Physiologysuggests that simple leg exercises while lying down might help prevent these problems.
10 minutes of inactivity only
First, researchers at the University of Texas, working with 18 healthy young men, showed that sitting for 10 minutes was enough to reduce the flow of blood to the legs through the small blood vessels that supply the muscles. . The lying position also resulted in reduced microcirculation vascular leg. However, these effects could be avoided when the person contracted their calf muscles, bending and stretching their legs. This made it possible to maintain a rapid blood supply. Note that for the macrocirculation of the legs (that of the arteries) to be affected, it was necessary that the sitting positionis prolonged for 1 to 6 hours.
This suggests that even a brief period of inactivity has effects on our vascular health, but which can be alleviated by simple contractions of the skeletal muscles. As these tests were performed on young men, it is not known whether these results may vary depending on age, gender or cardiovascular health, and whether the impact on blood vessels could be seen elsewhere than in the blood vessels. legs.
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