Sitting down all day can cause DVT
Sitting at the desk all day in work could prove more problematic than once thought. Even though it can cause some pain if you're not sat properly, new research indicates that you could be at risk of developing a potentially life threatening blood clot.
The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, found that women who sat for a long time every day had double or even triple the risk of a dangerous blood clot.
The greatest risk factor for developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is surgery, more people associate it with long-haul flights and the Pill.
Kimby Osbourne, leg health expert at Activia Healthcare, says: "There is a good awareness of the risk of DVT presented by air travel, but many people do not realise that all types of sedentary activity, including sitting at a desk all day, also present a danger."
Women that are most at risk are those who sit for more than 41 hours a week (on top of their work hours), the research is the first to prove a sedentary lifestyle increases the dangers.
Kimby offers her top tips to avoid DVT whilst at your desk:
Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
Keep moving: get up and walk around the office whenever you can and do leg exercises, such as rotating your ankles, pointing your heel and toe alternately and lifting your knees whilste seated every half hour for a short period.
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Healthy Body