Study says take frequent short walks to reduce the risk of heart attack. Here’s why you must set a timer every hour

New study has quantified the risk

A population-based study analysed the association between accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time and the risk of cardiovascular diseases measured by Framingham Risk Score in older adults. The study was conducted by researchers at the Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.

Higher amounts of daily physical activity, at any intensity level, and avoidance of sedentary time, reduced heart disease in older people, researchers concluded. The study actually quantified the risk and found each 10-minute increase in light physical activity was associated with 6.5 per cent lower all-cause mortality risk and each 10 minute increase in sedentary behaviour led to 5.6 per cent increased mortality risk.

Move, don’t forget to get up after every hour

Sitting from prolonged periods can increase the risk of heart disease and deep vein thrombosis, which means the veins in your legs can get clots and can be fatal if they get discharged into the other parts of the body, says Dr V Mohan, Chairman and Chief of Diabetology at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai. He admits though that the title of the study suggests that for every ten minutes that you sit there is risk of heart disease can be a bit frightening . “Then what does one do? Get up after every two minutes. This can’t be practical say when one is at a movie hall or a bus,” the expert adds. “But what is important is to find opportunities to walk and reduce the time spent sitting for prolonged periods of time. For instance, on a two-and-a-half hour flight, try to get up once or twice to walk from the first to the last row and on an international flight try to get up every one hour for five minutes. A smart watch can buzz to remind one to get up every hour. Prolonged sitting is not good and it is important to engage in regular exercise, apart from flexibility and resistance training drills,” Dr Mohan adds.

“This publication reinforces that knowledge while highlighting the benefits of mobility for the elderly, who are likely to become more sedentary with age, says Dr Reddy.

Sedentary posture can also lead to degeneration of joints

Worldwide, almost 30 per cent of the population does not meet physical activity (PA) recommendations. Lack of physical activity is more common in older adults than in younger adults. According to the study, over five million deaths could be averted annually if all inactive persons become active. Dr Aashish Contractor, Director, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, says the study reiterates what we already know about leisure time physical activity and cardiovascular risk. “In simple words, it’s not only important to be physically active throughout the day, it’s also important to reduce the amount of time we spend sitting in one place,” he adds.

Dr Anand Gangwal, Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Director, PrimePhysio, points out that sedentary postures not only increase the risk of heart disease but cause early degeneration of joints. “X-rays of the spine of many youngsters spending a lot of time on computers and phones reveal early degenerative changes. The incidence of pain in the neck, mid-back and lower back has increased manifold due to a sedentary lifestyle. When we move, blood flow to the body and joints improves. Blood carries a lot of nutrients and also clears waste products, which will be significantly affected due to sedentary postures,” he adds.

How the study was done

As part of the study, the team looked at data from 660 older people (277 men, 383 women) with an average age of 69. Researchers have said that the strength of the study is accelerometer-measured Physical Activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST). “The measurement period for PA in this study was approximately 13 days, instead of the usual one week. Thus, the PA measurement data could represent real-life conditions more accurately than shorter measurement periods. Wrist-worn accelerometers are well accepted in older adults and data is usually high quality. Their 10-year cardiovascular disease risk was estimated with the Framingham risk score and data for all-cause mortality was studied after an average of 6.2 years follow-up,” Miia Länsitie from the Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Oulu, said in the report.