Moving Your Feet During the Workday Could Protect Your Health

Moving around during the workday has been a buzzy topic in the health world, as science begins to discover that daily exercise alone can’t combat all the downsides of sitting. A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to a slew of health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, even cancer. Now, a recent new study is reinforcing the positive effects of easy, regular movement for the sake of your health.

According to the research published in American Journal of Physiology, Heart and Circulatory Physiology, University of Missouri researchers measured the vascular function in seated men and women who were asked to fidget their leg intermittently.

Every five minutes or so for three hours, study participants tapped one foot against the ground for 60 seconds. At the same time, they kept their other leg entirely still over the course of the experiment. Afterward, scientists measured blood flow in the popliteal artery of each leg, discovering that the toe-tapping leg had significantly better blood flow. That boosted blood flow, and the shear stress on the walls of the artery, has been linked to improved vascular health.

Tim Miller, MD, a sports medicine doctor and orthopedic surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says it’s vital to keep feet moving during your workday—or any other time you’re forced into a sedentary position for hours on end. “Get up and move once every couple of hours, at minimum,” says Miller. “This is important because blood can pool in the lower extremities while seated, leading to clots.”

In addition to moving every 60 minutes or so, Miller suggests doing calf pumps while you’re at your desk roughly once an hour. “Contracting the calf muscles sort of serves like a second heart,” he explains. “As gravity pulls blood down into the extremities, the calf muscles can push it back up. Different from exercise to get your heart pumping, here you just want your muscles to fire themselves for a bit.”

Miller recommends doing around 25 to 30 “heel flies” in an hour, rolling your foot from heel to toe in order to flex those calves. He promises it “won’t take long,” just remember to do it! Set a timer or an alarm if you need a reminder.

Women who are pregnant, those who’ve had cancer, or those with a history of clotting are most at risk of developing clotting issues, and should make special effort to keep blood flowing. “I also recommend wearing compression stockings—either thigh-high or above the knee, for these individuals,” says Miller.

For more inspiration on how to stay moving while seated, check out these ways to get active at your desk, in front of the TV, or while you’re traveling by car or plane.