In our world today, a sedentary lifestyle has become a pandemic that is affecting both old and young generations. We have come to love staying and living our lives indoors with little or no movement. During the covid 19 pandemic, many companies and institutions had to adopt offsite or remote working options for staff to prevent transmission and infection of the deadly virus. This option helped people to do their work in the comfort of their homes while staying safe from the virus. After the surge in the covid 19 cases came down, many institutions maintained the above working options since they were beneficial to both companies and even more for employees. Now employees can have the luxury of working from the comfort of their homes while saving money on transportation with little or no movement and stress. Employees who even work in the office also barely move and spend the whole day by their desks.

Also, in this age of technology and innovations, things have been created to make our lives so easy and pleasant. We can tell what is happening around the world, we can entertain ourselves and even learn or work without moving an inch. The world revolves around your finger now. So, the question is why must I move if I could just sit or lie down to get all this and more without stressing myself?

A sedentary lifestyle is a significant lack of physical activity which can predispose one to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. One of the biggest and fatal effects of a sedentary lifestyle is developing a clot in the veins of your leg which is the leading cause of pulmonary embolism and death.

Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a clot is formed in the veins of the lower limbs. The veins hold more blood in them due to their larger diameter. The veins carry blood from all parts of the body to the heart and then subsequently to the lungs for oxygenation. Since the flow of the blood from the veins of the lower limbs to the heart is against gravity, pumps, valves, and muscle contraction aid in the movement of the blood.

For people who have a sedentary lifestyle, or do not move and sit for long hours, blood flow in the veins of the limbs becomes slow which leads to the formation of a clot. The formation of this colt is called deep vein thrombosis. Some clots formed in the vein resolve on their own while others do not resolve but dislodge and block some part of the pulmonary artery causing pulmonary embolism. This causes deprivation of oxygen in the lungs and leads to death if treatment is not initiated immediately.

The common signs of deep vein thrombosis include one-sided leg swelling, pain in the limb, and redness of the limb (visible in light-skinned people) but once the clot gets to the lungs and causes pulmonary embolism you may experience chest pains, difficulty in breathing, or cough. Kindly speak to a medical practitioner once you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.

A sedentary lifestyle, though seems pleasant, can cause a lot of pain, and loss of money, or life if changes are not made early. The goal is to add more physical activity to your routine.

Physical activity is important for both children and adults, and it has various benefits, some of which include.

• Increases cognitive function and memory in both children and adults.
•  Improves physical strength
• Prevents falls in older adults
• Improve blood glucose levels
• Lowers blood pressure levels
• Reduce fat deposits in the body, especially around the midsection (stomach area)
• Prevent cardiovascular condition
• Improve your mood and prevent depression

All these benefits are very important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing disease but the most important for this topic is, that exercise improves circulation in the leg hence preventing the formation of clots which can dislodge to the lungs and cause pulmonary embolism.

It is recommended that every adult indulges in moderate or vigorous aerobic exercise four to five times for 30 minutes to 1 hour weekly and do some strength training to help tone muscles. Older adults and adults with chronic illness or disability can indulge in this routine of exercise. However, they must do exercises their body can tolerate and speak to a physical therapist about the types of exercises recommended for them. You may not have the time to exercise daily but a little exercise or movement regularly is better than none.   

Ways to incorporate physical activity into our lifestyle to prevent deep vein thrombosis.

• Take brisk walks 30 to 60 minutes daily. It can be early in the morning or in the evening
• Ditch transport to short distances for walks
• Wear TED anti-embolism stockings if you must sit for more than 4 hours without moving e.g. when on a flight
• Take occasional breaks in between working hours to stretch and move around. Breaks can be taken after every 2 hours and last for 5 to 10minutes
• Start new hobbies like gardening, swimming, cooking or dancing
• Add weekly sporting activities to your routine like playing football, basketball, tennis, or hiking.

 Remember to wear TED anti-embolism stockings if you must sit for more than 4 hours without moving e.g. when on a flight or going for a long journey ride.

Incorporating some or all these ways to be physically active will not only reduce your risk of getting deep vein thrombosis but it will help to prevent chronic diseases and promote longevity. Have a routine for exercise and be consistent, start slowly and increase intensity and frequency with time.