Walking for 5 minutes every half hour helps prevent illness

Currently, spending hours sitting has become a recurring habit, especially with the growth of the home office modality. According to a survey carried out by RH Caju, a corporate benefits and solutions company, between 2021 and 2022, the number of Brazilian professionals who started working at home grew by around 169%. In this scenario, a series of scientific evidence suggests that sitting for long periods can favor the emergence of diseases.

“Responsible for pumping blood and activating circulation, the calf musculature is stopped when we are sitting, making circulation difficult, which can cause fluid retention and, consequently, swelling and the feeling of heavy and tired legs. This lack of blood pumping also leads to damage to the walls of the veins, favoring the appearance of varicose veins, and to the formation of blood clots that cause thrombosis”, explains vascular surgeon Dr. Aline Lamaita.

The good news is that, according to a study published in January in the scientific journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, just five minutes of walking every half hour can counteract the negative effects of sitting too long. Check out what the survey says below:

Research on the effect of walking on health

The differential of the study lies in the fact that it tested five different types of “mini” exercises: hikingone-minute walks after 30 and 60 minutes of sitting and five-minute walks after half and one hour of sitting, in addition to no walking. Each of the 11 study participants, who were between 40 and 60 years old, sat in an ergonomic chair for eight hours, getting up only to walk on the treadmill as directed or go to the bathroom.

Periodically, the researchers tested blood pressure and blood sugar levels, indicators of cardiovascular health. “We know that high blood pressure is associated with a greater risk of the appearance of varicose veins, thrombus formation and the incidence of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. Uncontrolled sugar levels, in turn, also affect arterial health, blood flow, and can impede blood flow to the heart,” says Dr. Aline Lamaita.

Positive health outcomes

After analyzing the results, it was observed that five minutes of walking every half hour is the ideal exercise during long periods of sitting, as it was the only amount of movement that significantly reduced both blood pressure and blood pressure. blood sugar levels. Additionally, this walking regimen had a dramatic effect on how participants responded to meals, lowering blood sugar levels by 58% compared to those who sat all day without exercising.

Walking for one minute every half hour also conferred modest benefits on blood sugar levels, whereas walking every hour had no such effect. In contrast, blood pressure was reduced by between 4 and 5 mmHG in all participants who walked compared to those who did not.

Benefit of walking for mood

The researchers also periodically measured the participants’ mood, fatigue and cognitive performance during the test and observed that all walking regimens, with the exception of walking one minute every hour, decreased the fatigue and improve mood. “These effects are important, as we tend to repeat behaviors and habits that are pleasant and make us feel good”, says the doctor.

Importance of research

Now researchers are testing 25 different doses of walking and their health effects in a wider range of people. “The study is extremely important because it shows that even small amounts of movement throughout the day can significantly reduce the harmful effects of sitting for a long time, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions”, says the specialist.

Still, the practice of physical exercises is essential to optimize health. “In addition, it is essential to control weight, maintain a healthy eating routine and avoid smoking. And attention to long sitting periods and lifestyle habits should be redoubled by individuals who are predisposed to the development of thrombosis, such as obese, smokers, cancer patients, people using hormones or birth control pills, predisposed to blood clotting, pregnant women, the elderly and people with varicose veins”, concludes Dr. Aline Lamaita.

By Maria Claudia Amoroso