Taking a five-minute walk for each hour spent sitting may reverse damage to leg arteries and reduce the risk of heart disease, according to research conducted at Indiana University.
The study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, surveyed data on 11 healthy men ages 20-35, who sat for three hours without moving their legs.
One group of the men walked for five minutes during each hour of sitting and demonstrated - via ultrasound technology - better functioning in arterial function, muscle activity and blood flow.
"We have shown that prolonged sitting impairs endothelial function, which is an early marker of cardiovascular disease, and that breaking sitting time prevents the decline in that function," said lead author Saurabh Thosar.
"American adults sit for approximately eight hours a day," he added.
"The impairment in endothelial function is significant after just one hour of sitting. It is interesting to see that light physical activity can help in preventing this impairment."
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