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The doctor explained that if a person sits at a desk from morning to night without breaks, their veins are already under stress.
Taking short breaks, small stretches, and a two-minute walk can protect vein health.(Photo Credit: Instagram)
Many people today believe that reaching a certain number of steps every day means they are living a fit and balanced life. With fitness watches, online challenges and trending routines, the idea of completing 10,000 steps has become a daily target for many. However, Vascular Surgeon Dr Sumit Kapadia says this is not entirely accurate and cleared this “misconception”.
He explained that a person can complete all their steps in the evening, but if they sit at a desk from morning to night without breaks, their veins are already under stress. Blood flow slows down, swelling may start, and there is a higher chance of clot formation. He said the key is not how much they walk, but how often the person moves their body. According to the doctor, taking short breaks every hour, small stretches and a two-minute walk can protect vein health far more than a single long walk at the end of the day.
Why The 10,000 Step Belief Is Not Fully Accurate
Taking to Instagram, Dr Sumit Kapadia wrote, “Your 10,000 steps don’t undo 10 hours of sitting. This is something I tell my patients almost every day. You can hit your step goal in the evening, but if you’ve been desk-bound from 9 AM to 7 PM, your veins have already taken the damage. Because circulation doesn’t depend on how much you walk. It depends on how often you move. Long sitting, blood stagnation, vein valve weakness, swelling, varicose veins, higher risk of clots. Even a healthy step count cannot reverse 10 hours of immobility.”
“So here’s the real rule: Get up every 45–60 minutes. Stretch. Walk for 2 minutes. Move your calf muscles, they’re your ‘peripheral heart.’ Tiny breaks. Huge difference. Your veins don’t need marathons. They need movement,” the Vascular Surgeon added.
‘Prioritise Health Before It’s Too Late’
Reacting to the post, a user jokingly wrote, “Companies like Cognizant, Wipro, Infosys must hate you.”
Another shared, “Go to the gym and start doing squats twice a week.”
“Getting a standing desk was the best thing I did for my office job. I can be in place and still move and stretch,” a comment read.
An individual stated, “I was sitting for almost 10-11 hours and my side hips, lower back pains a lot, also I can’t walk and stand for a long time. Thankfully, I have left the job. Prioritise health before it’s too late.”
Another mentioned, “To tackle this, I have upgraded my target to 15k steps on strength training days and 20k on cardio days. You cannot reach this goal unless you are mobile throughout the day. Also, a fitness band worn all the time helps a lot with reminders. Basically, break your step counts into small rounds of 500+ steps and come back on your chair every 46-60 minutes.”
One more added, “Long sitting does strain circulation, and frequent movement matters more than piling steps at night. But saying the veins are already ‘damaged’ is overstated. Evening steps still help, and one long sitting day doesn’t cause permanent harm.”
Dr Sumit Kapadia has been working in the medical field for 18 years and has treated more than 10,000 patients so far.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
Delhi, India, India
November 24, 2025, 11:05 IST
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