We’ve all heard about the health consequences of prolonged sitting, but new research suggests that fidgeting may mitigate some of those poor health outcomes.
We’ve discussed the benefits of stand up workstations on the blog before, but we know that these options just aren’t feasible for some offices. Some people really do need to sit down for 95 percent of their daily work activities. Unfortunately, that can take a heavy toll on your health. Prolonged sitting as been shown to increase a person’s likelihood of developing heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer, but there may be some hope on the horizon. According to a new study, fidgeting in your chair can help lower some of those risks.
For the study, researchers in the United Kingdom examined health data and mortality rates of nearly 13,000 women between the ages of 37 and 78 for more than 12 years. The women were asked to self-assess their own fidgeting tendencies into either the high, medium or low group, and researchers also tracked their sitting habits. After looking at the compilation of the data, researchers uncovered.
- Women who sat for seven or more hours a day had a 30 percent increased risk of dying from any cause than women who sat less than five hours a day, but only if the highly sedentary women classified themselves as “low” fidgeters.
- Women who classified themselves as middle or high fidgeters saw no increased risk in death.
“Fidgeting appeared to remove the association between longer sitting times and subsequent mortality,” researchers wrote.
That’s not to say that twitching your leg should replace a long walk or a run after you get home from the office, but it’s something worth considering. Doctors also noted that the study had a few limitations, mainly that participants were asked to self-report their fidgeting tendencies, which may not lead to the most accurate data set.
Dr. Silverman comments
This is a pretty cool study. We can fidget our way to better health, even if we’re stuck at the office all day.
I also like the part of the story where the researchers stress that fidgeting should not replace regular exercise, but every little bit helps. So start wiggling a bit in your chair, and your body will thank you for it!