If you were like me as a child, you had a hard time sitting in the same place for long periods of time, which frequently led to mom telling you to knock it off and just sit still. A new study published in Scientific American shows that mom may be wrong, and fidgeting may actually be beneficial for one's health.
It's been well documented that living a sedentary lifestyle can be just as detrimental towards health as smoking or eating a bad diet. This can be especially problematic for people whose jobs require sitting at a desk the majority of the day, or biomedical master's students routinely spending upwards of six hours a day sitting in classes or studying. Statistics say that sitting for seven or more hours per day correlates to a 30 percent higher risk of death. However, this study on over 12,000 women from the U.K. found that those who fidget frequently, making small movements with their hands and feet, do not see the 30 percent higher risk of death compared to those who don't fidget. One possible explanation for the findings the article listed was that fidgeting might help improve metabolism. Increasing one's basal metabolic rate would cause their body to burn more calories while at rest, possible decreasing the risk of obesity and all of the health concerns that come with it. These results could provide reassurance to those who don't have much choice about being sedentary, such as those with the 10 hour a day desk job. It doesn't take much; stretching every couple hours, going on a 5 minute walk during breaks, or tapping your feet are all small things one can do to try and improve their health while being sedentary.
Link to article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/sitting-not-the-new-smoking-for-fidgeters/
This is another reason for students to park in lot 6 and get a walk in before a long day of classes! The decrease in risk of death may be related to an increase in circulation as well as metabolic rate. Risk for stroke and other major health risks increase with circulation problems. Fidgeting and small movements may improve circulation, thereby decreasing the probability of blood clots and other health issues, especially when sitting for long periods of time.
ReplyDeleteIf you need more encouragement to fidget and get some exercise, here's an article outlining how sedentary lifestyles lead to many other chronic diseases:
Booth, F. W., Roberts, C. K., & Laye, M. J. (2012). Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases. Comprehensive Physiology, 2(2), 1143–1211. http://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c110025
Usually being fidgety has been a negative thing, connoting an attention deficit disorder like ADD or ADHD. That statistic about being 30% more at risk of death is alarming! It is interesting that being fidgety can make this much of a difference. I wonder if this information is different for males? I guess this info gives those with ADD or ADHD an advantage because they unconsciously fidget. Does this mean others have to condition themselves?
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