The evolution of the world of work and the development of new technologies lead to an increase in sedentariness at work. Many employees are seated during their daily working hours, i.e. for almost 8 hours. At the same time, cardiovascular risk is also increasingly present. In fact, nearly 31% of the causes of death in the world are due to cardiovascular disorders. Is it possible to prevent this risk at work?
Sedentariness at work and cardiovascular risks…
Cardiovascular risk is related to the obstruction of one or more arteries of the body. This blockage in the blood network therefore no longer allows the correct irrigation of the blood and its distribution to all the organs and tissues of the body.
Sitting in a motionless position for long hours is a cardiovascular risk factor. Indeed, a team of researchers from the University of Missouri, Colombia, looked into the matter and made it possible to highlight that a prolonged sitting position considerably reduced the fluidity of blood in the legs. The affected vessel is the popliteal artery, located on the lower leg.
To know! Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are pathologies whose imputability is based, among other things, on work activity. They are recognized as occupational diseases. One such disorder is external popliteal sciatic nerve entrapment syndrome. This syndrome is particularly caused by the “sitting cross-legged” position.
Two findings emerge from this study:
- Maintaining the seated position between 6 and 8 consecutive hours at work could considerably reduce blood flow in the lower limbs;
- Walking for 10 minutes, after a long period in a sitting position, would be a way to limit cardiovascular risk.
For this research, the scientists compared the blood flow at the level of the popliteal artery in 11 young men, before and after a long period of sedentary time in a seated position. The results concluded with a significant reduction in blood flow in the lower limbs after sitting for 6 hours.
Solutions to limit the risk
The researchers then decided to go a little further and focused on the impact of travel in order to limit the cardiovascular consequences. It would seem that 10 minutes of walking, during his working time, would reduce the circulatory anomalies caused by the sitting position.
Scientists insist on the fact that many professional activities involve a non-negligible sedentary lifestyle. In this sense, information and prevention of risks, in particular cardiovascular risks, linked to prolonged static positions, must be known to employees.
Breaking the routine and the prolonged sedentary lifestyle, with a small daily walk, can then counterbalance the dangerous consequences linked to the obstruction of the blood system.