Physical Activity Sedentary Breaks Can Lower High Blood Pressure

Sedentary lifestyle is a term frequently used to describe a way of living in which a person participates in relatively little physical activity.
And people are becoming less active everywhere in the world. People who participate in leisure activities, like using computers, watching television, or playing video games, often lead sedentary lives. Additionally, many of the duties that people perform at work are done while they are seated at a desk. One study has shown that taking activity breaks, when sedentary, is important in controlling blood pressure.

Three-hundred and thirty-one middle-aged and older adults were chosen at random and evaluated at the start and end of the 2-year study. For the study, high blood pressure, or HBP, was defined as a systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg. A questionnaire was used to measure physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sedentary breaks. Observed variables included age, gender, socioeconomic status, and body mass index. The researchers found that engaging in "continuously high sedentary breaks" can lower the risk of HBP.

Not only is HBP a problem in a sedentary lifestyle, one study concluded that a sedentary lifestyle can raise the risk of low back pain (LBP). For instance, LBP can develop if you use a computer at work for more than four hours each day. Spending more than seven hours a day sitting down may cause LBP. And playing video games for at least twelve hours each week may cause LBP.  

Some researchers discovered that older people who restrict their sedentary time and engage in more daily physical activity — of any intensity — have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Reduced inactivity and light exercise are associated with lower all-cause mortality.

Since a sedentary lifestyle can lead to HBP and LBP, healthcare providers should encourage their patients to engage in activity breaks in sedentary situations. These breaks can improve health.

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