Sitting for long can affect memory too

It Reduces Blood Flow To Brain, Clouds Thinking


Sitting for hours without moving can slow the flow of blood to our brains, according to a cautionary new study of office workers, a finding that could have implications for long-term brain health. But getting up and strolling for just two minutes every half-hour seems to stave off this decline in brain blood flow and may even increase it.

Delivering blood to our brains is one of those automatic internal processes that is essential for life and cognition. Brain cells need the oxygen and nutrients that blood contains, and several large arteries constantly shuttle blood up to our skulls.


Past studies in people and animals indicate that slight, shortterm drops in brain blood flow can temporarily cloud thinking and memory, while longer-term declines are linked to higher risks for some neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. Other research has shown that uninterrupted sitting dampens blood flow to various parts of the body. Most of those studies looked at the legs, which are affected the most by our postures, upright or not. Stay seated for several hours, and blood flow within the legs can slacken.

So for the new study, which was published in ‘Journal of Applied Physiology’, researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in England gathered 15 healthy, adult, male and female office workers. They spent four hours sitting at a desk and reading or working at a computer.

They never rose unless they had to visit the bathroom, which was close by. Scientists tracked the blood flow to their brains just before and during each walking break, as well as immediately after the four hours were over.

As they had expected, brain blood flow dropped when people sat for four continuous hours. The decline was small but noticeable by the end of the session.

But brain blood flow rose slightly when the four hours included frequent, two-minute walking breaks, scientists found.

Sophie Carter, who led the study says to stroll down the hall, take the stairs to visit a restroom a floor above or below your own, or complete a few easy laps around your office. Your brain just might thank you years from now, when you’re no longer tied to that office chair.