A new study shows that fidgeting such as drumming fingers or tapping feet might be effective in countering the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time, and could be good for people's health. Researchers learned that life expectancies among people who lived sedentary lifestyles such as through desk jobs were only higher among those who often fidgeted at home or work.
The study was conducted by University College London and University of Leeds. It was published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
Researchers collected and reviewed data from over 35,000 women in the United Kingdom between the ages of 35 to 69. They also evaluated data from a follow-up survey. The questions included topics such as fidgeting, physical activity, and chronic diseases.
Co-lead author Janet Cade told Forbes that when sitting for long periods, any type of movement could be healthy, according to University Herald. It can even help people with desk jobs.
The Washington Post reported that risk of mortality was not higher for women with longer sitting times in contrast with more mobile women. That was compared to those with moderate or high levels of fidgeting.
The study did not show that the calories burned through fidgeting caused the health benefit, according to Philly. Cade said that more research is needed.
Several studies have suggested that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for people's health even when they are physically active doing exercising or housework after clocking out at work. However, this is the first study to show the health benefits of fidgeting while sitting down.
This video shows a device for doing workouts at desk jobs: