Contents:
- Medical Video: 6 Exercises to Kill Chronic Knee, Foot or Hip Pain
- Danger of sitting
- The benefits of moving your legs when sitting
- 1. Prevent peripheral arterial disease
- 2. Burn calories
Medical Video: 6 Exercises to Kill Chronic Knee, Foot or Hip Pain
Your feet can't stay still when you sit? This habit can sometimes interfere with the people around you. Your parents may have reminded you many times to sit quietly. However, did you know that moving your feet while sitting turns out to have various health benefits? Especially if you are the type of person who sits everyday. See the full explanation below if you don't believe it!
Danger of sitting
Although the impact is not immediately felt, over time you sit at high risk for your health. In addition to back pain because your posture becomes bent, you also become more at risk of stroke, heart attack, or diabetes.
The duration of sitting accompanied by a lack of physical activity can also lead to obesity, muscle weakness, reduced bone density, and decreased brain concentration and cognitive function. If your daily lifestyle is also not healthy, for example, you smoke and drink alcoholic beverages excessively, sitting too long can also lead to death.
The benefits of moving your legs when sitting
Unfortunately, some people really have no choice but to sit behind a desk all day long. If you do sit often all day, there is one way to prevent any danger that might occur due to sitting too long. Yes, the way is to move your legs when sitting.
According to a recent study conducted by experts at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, intentionally moving the legs while sitting is able to promote blood circulation and protect the health of arteries, especially in the legs. Smooth blood circulation is the key to preventing various diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease.
1. Prevent peripheral arterial disease
Peripheral artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the arteries. This buildup of plaque causes the arteries to narrow. As a result, blood cannot flow to certain parts of the body, especially the legs (starting from the groin to the tips of the soles of the feet). Symptoms include pain or cramps in the legs, especially when you get up from your seat and walk.
Based on observations by experts in the American Journal of Physiology's Heart and Circulatory Physiology, moving your feet while sitting can trigger blood circulation to the lower limbs due to muscle activity. Because the muscles become more active and the blood flow more profusely, there is intense friction in the arteries. This is useful for preventing plaque buildup.
2. Burn calories
Another study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the journal Science reveals that moving your legs while sitting can help burn calories. This simple foot movement is certainly not enough to replace exercise and physical activity that the body needs. However, if you do it often enough, in a day you can burn up to 350 calories or the equivalent of a vegetable gado-gado.
Calorie burning can prevent obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. So instead of just sitting there all day, moving your legs is a healthier choice.
