What’s the Harm in Sitting? How It Affects Your Vein Health
Author: StrideCare Internal Team
Have you thought about how much time you spend sitting? It’s easy to only look at leisure activities like watching TV or lying in bed while reading a good book and think that you’re not sitting too much. But what about all the time you spend sitting to perform your job or while commuting to and from work? How about all those long airplane flights? Then you come home from a long day of work, and the first thing you want to do is “take a load off.” When you look at it that way, it’s no surprise to hear that Americans spend an average of 10 hours a day sitting. That means we spend half our days being sedentary. The effect this has on our vein health is becoming increasingly worrisome.
You might be wondering, “What’s the harm in sitting?” Well, our veins are responsible for providing our vital organs with the healthy blood flow they need to work efficiently. This is a super strong interconnected web of activity that our body does naturally for us. A key piece to our overall vein health is also dependent upon us doing our part to stay active. Sitting around too much impedes blood flow and makes it harder for our veins to function properly.
Poor vein health can lead to a variety of painful and sometimes life-altering symptoms and conditions.
Are You Experiencing Any of These Symptoms?
- Throbbing, heavy, and achy legs
- Numbness, pain, or weakness in your legs
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Painful or unsightly varicose veins and spider veins
- Tight feeling in your calves
- Restless legs, especially at night
- Blood clots
- Skin changes
Why Does Sitting Too Much Hurt Veins?
Veins are an elastic network of powerful vessels in the circulatory system that carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Unlike arteries, which carry blood away from the heart, veins need to push blood against gravity and support many systems critical to your cardiovascular health and many other functions of blood. To help with this process, they need an outside stimulus from us—walking, running, and other general activity. A body that stays in motion leads to increased blood flow throughout the body and in veins of your lower extremities. Conversely, inactivity grinds everything to a halt. And when there’s too much inactivity, blood flow is dangerously limited through the veins.
The fact that we as Americans sit too much isn’t because we are lazy. Many of us have jobs that naturally lead to sitting too much. This includes writers, bookkeepers, receptionists, office workers, etc. On top of that, we are in our cars a lot. According to a CNN report, which cited a Texas A&M Transportation Institute study, the average American commuter wastes 54 extra hours a year in traffic delays. And by “extra hours,” they mean the extra time spent traveling at congested speeds rather than free-flow speeds. That’s a lot of time being stuck sitting, and when you factor in seat belts and tight-fitting clothes, all of which restrict blood flow, vein health can become a problem.
It is estimated that one in every three adults over the age of 45 develops some form of vein disease. Here are a few of the more common vein diseases that can arise from sitting too much.
- Varicose Veins — Varicose veins affect roughly 25% of men and women in the United States. These twisted, bulging veins form very easily in situations where a person is sitting too much and/or leading a sedentary lifestyle. As blood backs up and pools in the lower legs, it causes veins to bulge.
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency — This is when blood pressure builds up in the lower legs. It can cause painful symptoms ranging from swelling and a heavy, full feeling in the legs to drastic skin changes that could lead to open sores and ulcers on the legs, feet, or ankles.
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) — Several studies indicate that as many as 22% of those with RLS (pins and needles sensation, itchiness, aching, etc.) have venous insufficiency.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) — Deep vein thrombosis is a serious condition in which a blood clot occurs deep within one of the veins in your body. These clots can be life-threatening. While we typically see DVT in the legs or thighs, these harmful blood clots can be found anywhere in the body under the right conditions.
6 Ways to Improve and Avoid Sitting Too Much
Finding ways to avoid sitting too much is easier said than done for many people. But there are ways to introduce more activity into your life even when you are forced to sit.
- Take the stairs or park further away — If you have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, skip the elevator and take the stairs. This includes when you’re not at work and are out shopping or running errands.
- Get a walk in during lunchtime — A quick 30-minute walk at lunch or during a work break will keep you from sitting idle for too many hours each day and get your blood pumping.
- Stay more active at home — It’s so easy to come home and land straight on the couch. But to avoid sitting for too long, consider moving around during commercial breaks. Fold laundry while you watch TV or get outside for an evening walk before or after dinner.
- Wear compression stockings — Compression stockings are a great way to encourage healthy blood flow even when you are stuck sitting for too long.
- Stretch often — Lightly stretching your legs, feet, and calves after a walk or during times where you are sitting for extended periods improves circulation and increases flexibility.
- Avoid wearing tight clothing — Tight clothing creates added restrictions to blood flow and impacts vein health, especially when you’ve been sitting for too long. Also, try to avoid keeping your legs crossed for too long.
Call StrideCare Today to Support Better Vein Health
While taking a load off to watch TV with the family or get into a good book is perfectly fine, it is our responsibility to make sure we are balancing these times of inactivity with getting up and staying active. Believe it or not, too much sitting—whether at work, on a plane, in a car, or while at home—can lead to a variety of vein health issues that you may not have expected. As Americans, we sit entirely too much. It’s time to break that cycle!
Vein health issues can take many forms. It is important to recognize problems in their earlier stages and seek help from medical professionals who can guide you on your next steps. StrideCare is a leader in performing leading-edge procedures to treat vein disease and help patients with vein-related symptoms. We are also committed to talking to our patients about a variety of non-invasive options and lifestyle changes that can dramatically improve their conditions and symptoms. The vascular physicians at StrideCare are board-certified diagnostic radiologists with additional fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology. We will do our best to get you on the road to healthier-feeling legs.
If you are worried about your vein health, or you have questions about why your legs constantly feel sluggish or painful and would like a vein screening, the experts at StrideCare will recommend an individualized plan to help you get the best results.
Prior to starting any new treatment or questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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