Do you ever catch yourself bouncing in line or tapping your fingers during a meeting?
Fidgeters, rejoice! The same habits that likely got you a stern look from mothers and teachers of the past may actually be keeping you healthy, according to a new study we read about in the New York Times.
Most of us spend eight to ten hours a day sitting without moving a muscle, which can lead to an increased risk of weight gain and diabetes. It can also decrease the blood flow to the legs, increasing blood pressure and the risk for atherosclerosis (buildup of cholesterol plaque in the arteries). As we reported in this August article, a growing body of evidence shows that sitting also increases the risk of cancer.
In the study mentioned above, which was published in July’s The American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology, researchers tested college students using an ultrasound and a blood pressure cuff. They had the students keep one leg still and fidget with the other. The researchers found that lower body fidgeting helps blood flow and therefore arterial function was higher than they anticipated.
Does this mean you should focus on fidgeting while binge-watching the latest Netflix series? Probably not.
More research is necessary to determine whether fidgeting is beneficial across all ages and weights. There’s also no substitute for good ol’ fashioned exercise.
If you have a desk job where you are sitting for hours each day, check out these tips to stay healthy:
- Get up to walk around at least once an hour, and take the stairs.
- If you’re the organizer of a meeting, suggest that you all take a walk outside instead or stand up around the conference table.
- Drink plenty of water, which will, of course, keep you hydrated, but also encourage trips to the bathroom more frequently throughout the day.
- Change positions as frequently as possible. This is easy if you have a desk that converts into a standing or sitting desk.
- Try sitting on an exercise ball instead of an office chair.
