Vascular surgeon with 18 years experience shares simple 2 minute exercise to counter damage caused by prolonged sitting
If your job keeps you glued to your desk for hours – with constant meetings, tight deadlines, and little opportunity to stand or stretch – you may be unknowingly putting your vascular health at risk. Prolonged sitting can slow blood flow in the legs, causing heaviness, swelling, and even increasing the risk of cardiovascular issues such as blood clots. While getting up to walk for a few minutes every hour is the ideal solution, vascular experts say a simple seated exercise can also help counter the harmful effects of long, uninterrupted sitting.
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Dr Sumit Kapadia, a vascular surgeon and varicose vein specialist with 18 years of experience, has shared a simple but powerful exercise that helps counter the damage caused by prolonged sitting – especially for those who cannot step away from their desks every hour. In an Instagram video posted on November 29, the vascular surgeon explains that although walking is the best option, doing ankle pumps for just a few minutes can be a game changer for vascular health.
What happens when you sit for too long?
Today’s lifestyle – dominated by desk jobs, back-to-back meetings, travel, long flights, and deadlines – often leaves little room to stand, stretch, or move around, leading to prolonged hours of sitting in the same position. However, long hours of sitting can lead to cardiovascular complications.
Dr Kapadia highlights, “Sitting for too long slows down the blood flow in your legs, and that’s when problems begin.” He lists the following complications that can be a result of prolonged sitting:
- Heaviness
- Swelling
- Varicose veins
- Poor circulation
- Higher risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT (blood clots)
How can ankle pumps help?
The vascular surgeon notes that a short walk every hour is ideal, but if your job keeps you glued to your seat, performing ankle pumps is a simple yet effective alternative to keep your circulation moving. He advises, “Move your ankle up and down, 20 to 30 times, every hour. That’s it. This small movement activates your calf muscles, the ‘peripheral heart’ that pushes blood back towards the heart. It takes 30 seconds, and the impact is huge.”
He outlines the various benefits of performing ankle pumps regularly:
- Better circulation
- Reduced swelling
- Lower risk of blood clots
- Reduces leg fatigue at the end of the day
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
