The Danger of Prolonged Sitting

Q - Hey Coach: I’m not a runner. However, I’m contacting you about a 54 year old buddy who has been a long-time jogger, running 5 days a week, averaging 4 to 6 km. per run with only a few walking breaks. He’s not overweight – he’s 5 ft. 10 inches tall and weighs about 160 lb.
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Anyway, he recently complained that, out of the blue, he has developed varicose veins (self-diagnosis) in one leg below the knee. Of course, he has not seen a Dr. for a formal diagnosis about this. Oh, and he’s a full-time office worker and sits all day while working. Have you had any experience with this kind of situation? 
Jenny
 
A – Thanks for the question Jenny. In all the years I’ve been coaching runners, I’ve only encountered one similar situation with a 63 year old fellow. 

First off, I strongly recommend your friend see a Dr.,  just to confirm that this is indeed a case of varicose veins.

I suggest this because, in the case of my client, it turned out to be Superficial Thrombophlebitis, which is different from a varicose situation in which vein valves malfunction. 
 
Thrombophlebitis is an inflammatory process that causes a blood clot to form and block one or more veins, most commonly in the legs. There are 2 types:  

Type 1) Superficial Thrombophlebitis, where the vein(s) is near the surface of the skin – it may or may not cause pain, warmth and tenderness;

Type 2) Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT, that occurs in veins deep within a muscle, which increases the risk of serious health problems. 

Causes of thrombophlebitis include trauma, surgery or prolonged inactivity (e.g., sitting at an office job).

Comparing actual photos of Superficial Thrombophlebitis (HERE) and varicose veins (HERE),shows the similiar appearances. 

Now runners may think they’re immune to this situation, but prolonged sitting may counter the circulatory benefits of running. In fact, an incredibly thorough 2020 review on this subject by several UK and USA universities concluded, “Exposure to acute prolonged sitting leads to significant vascular dysfunction in arteries of the lower, but not upper, limbs. The limited available data indicate that vascular dysfunction can be prevented by regularly interrupting sitting, particularly with aerobic or simple resistance activities”.  

[You can read the published study HERE]

And so, what I prescribed my client to do was to interrupt his sitting every 30 minutes (whether at the office or in the evening when practical), bystand up and walk around for 5 to 10 minutes, and including easy effort exercises (e.g., heel raises, half squats, knee lifts) to promote increased blood circulation.
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He did this, and the condition completely cleared up in a matter of a couple of months.