We all want to look alive and kicking, don’t we? Taking the word kicking figuratively, of course. Moving around makes us feel alive, feel the blood running on its course. What’s more, researchers second this ancient belief – their studies show that there’s a lot of truth in the old wisdom.
Nobody doubts that the body benefits from proper blood circulation – but the researchers were interested in the way the sedentary lifestyle affects the brain. Their conclusions can be found on Mgbhealth, where they are followed by comments of other healthcare experts.
A sedentary working day is really tiring so it’s not in any way surprising that many of those who have to sit for long hours often go for desks at which they can work standing. Such people eventually report that they feel better after a day’s work.
Others who habitually sit try to stimulate blood circulation by doing exercises like bicycle riding (you can do it without standing up as much as you want). If you are not ready to install equipment for proper exercising, you can move around your legs, revolve your feet and twiddle your toes. If you can listen to music while working, you can tap the rhythm and move your body a little.
As emerges from a study conducted by boffins from John Moores University in Liverpool, sedentary workers who take regular breaks to move around increased the flow of blood to the head. The tests ran on a group containing 15 individuals. The researchers measured blood flow at the start and then four hours later.
There were three such periods and the same group of people were made to participate in different activities. First, they spent the four hours just sitting at their desks. The second time they made a break after the first two hours and had a short walk. The third time they took a two-minute walk after every thirty minutes of sitting.
Check-up after the first session showed that four-hour sitting decreased all the participants’ blood flow up to their heads. When they walked for eight minutes after the first part of the second session it failed to improve their diminished blood flow. Only when the participants stood up for a walk after every half-hour they displayed a better blood flow compared to that before the session.
It goes to show that if you want your brain to operate at its best you have to ensure a good blood flow by standing up from your desk for a short active break as often as you can afford to. It is a scientifically proven way not only to boost the brain’s functionality but also to maintain general brain health.
