New research suggests that walking around for just 10 minutes can offset the potentially harmful effects of sitting in front of a computer for hours, Financial Express reported.

Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that when a person sits for six straight hours, vascular function is impaired -- but by walking for just 10 minutes after a prolonged period of sitting, vascular health can be restored.

"It's easy for all of us to be consumed by work and lose track of time, subjecting ourselves to prolonged periods of inactivity," Jaume Padilla, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, said in a statement. "However, our study found that when you sit for six straight hours, or the majority of an eight-hour work day, blood flow to your legs is greatly reduced. We also found that just 10 minutes of walking after sitting for an extended time reversed the detrimental consequences."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from 11 healthy young men before and after a period of prolonged sitting, The Times of India reported.

They found that blood flow in the popliteal -- an artery in the lower leg -- was greatly reduced after sitting at a desk for six hours. After participants took a short walk, they found that 10 minutes of self-paced walking could restore the impaired vascular function and improve blood flow.

"When you have decreased blood flow, the friction of the flowing blood on the artery wall, called shear stress, is also reduced," Padilla said. "Moderate levels of shear stress are good for arterial health, whereas low levels of shear stress appear to be detrimental and reduce the ability of the artery to dilate. Dilation is a sign of vascular health. The more the artery can dilate and respond to stimuli, the healthier it is."

Because many workplaces are sedentary environments, researchers said it's important that people understand the effects if sitting on their vascular health. By breaking up desk time with a short walk, workers can offset the harm caused to vascular blood vessels.

"Studies have shown that sitting less can lead to better metabolic and cardiovascular health," Padilla said. "However, more research is needed to determine if repeated periods of reduced vascular function with prolonged sitting lead to long-term vascular complications."

The findings are detailed in the journal Experimental Physiology.