No matter how much you exercise... if you can't break this habit, there's a high risk of blood clots in your blood vessels.

 

If you sit all day or watch TV for long periods

It's really bad for vascular health.

I need to move through the day at a quick pace.

 

It is obvious that regular exercise is good for health. However, aside from exercise time, the bad habit of sitting all day long is a major obstacle. If you cannot break this bad habit, the benefits of exercise may become meaningless. According to the American health portal 'Thehealthy,' exercise reduces the risk of blood clots, promotes blood circulation, and is good for heart health, but if you are immersed in bad habits such as sitting at a desk all day, lounging on the sofa, or binge-watching TV at night, even health efforts like exercise can be rendered useless.

 

Dr. Amy Mullins of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), who is responsible for quality science, said, "Exercise is a good way to promote healthy blood circulation. However, in reality, how active you are in daily life is much more important than what kind of exercise you do." Sitting all day increases the risk of blood clots forming, while regular physical activity has a significant effect on improving blood circulation and preventing blood clot formation. Recent research shows that even if people follow exercise guidelines, those who spend most of their time sitting have a much higher risk of developing blood clots in their legs. Blood clots can be life-threatening in severe cases.

 

Professor Mary Cushman of the University of Vermont College of Medicine (Hematology and Pathology) said, "Arteries supply oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues, while veins return blood to the heart." She explained, "Because veins in the legs have to work against gravity to push blood upward, it is not easy for them to perform this function." Therefore, leg muscles are very important. To send blood back to the heart from the legs, the leg muscles need to move whenever possible. If you do not move your legs for several hours, the blood gradually begins to clot. This can lead to venous thromboembolism (VTE). While this condition can occur due to surgery, traumatic injury, or cancer, it can also happen simply from sitting still for a long time.

Watching too much TV increases the risk of blood clots by more than 1.7 times... Regular exercise does not significantly reduce the risk level.

 

Professor Kusiman said, "If a blood clot moves or a part of it breaks off, it can lead to fatal consequences. The blood clot can travel to the brain and cause a stroke." Every year, 300,000 to 600,000 people in the United States alone develop venous thromboembolism. This is the third most important vascular disease after heart disease and stroke. However, awareness of this condition is very low worldwide. If a blood clot accumulates in the lungs, it can cause pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism can cause unexpected shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chest pain, increased heart rate, dizziness, and other symptoms.

 

The research team led by Professor Kusiman conducted a 20-year longitudinal study on approximately 15,000 men and women aged 45 to 64 to investigate the physical effects of prolonged sitting. According to the study results, people who watch TV 'very frequently' have a 1.7 times higher risk of life-threatening blood clots compared to those who watch TV rarely or not at all. In particular, even among those who watch TV frequently and exercise regularly, the risk of blood clot formation was found to be 1.8 times higher than that of those who watch TV rarely and exercise regularly. People undergoing cancer treatment, those who have had surgery, or smokers should be especially cautious about blood clots. Those who undertake long-distance travel for more than four hours may also be at risk.

 

Professor Kusiman said, "Regular exercise is important for various health reasons, but on its own, it is insufficient." It is good to wear compression socks when maintaining an active posture throughout the day or when sitting still. He emphasized, "Whether you're working at a desk, on a long flight, or watching TV for extended periods at night, you should get up and move around periodically." Walking on a treadmill while watching TV or setting hourly reminders to stand up, walk in place, or stretch regularly are also good methods.

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