It is no secret that long periods of sitting can impair focus, metabolism, and comprehension. Fortunately new research in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine has found a way to offset the negative effects of sitting for hours at a time by fidgeting. Yes, that’s right! Fidgeting at work can actually counteract some of the side effects of a sedentary job and help you live longer.

Alice G. Walton, contributing writer for Forbes, summarized the results of the study as follows:

The researchers in Britain looked at data from 12,000 women who answered questions about their diets, exercise habits, fidgeting and many other lifestyle habits. The team found that longer periods of time spent sitting was linked to mortality. Women who sat for more than seven hours per day and who didn’t fidget much, had a mortality rate that was 43% higher than those who sat for less than five hours. (When the team adjusted for things like smoking and drinking, the mortality risk for sitting for more than seven hours a day was still higher by 30%.)

But what was really interesting was that being more fidgety seemed to counteract this effect: That is, the middle- and high-fidgeting groups didn’t have any greater risk of death even sitting more than seven hours every day.

“When sitting for prolonged periods, any movement might be good,” Janet Cade, of the University of Leeds, tells me. “So although it might not be possible to sit less during the day due to work commitments, if people fidget at their desk it could be beneficial.”

Fidgeting is definitely not a cure for the effects of prolonged sitting or lack of exercise, but it’s an interesting idea – that what’s been considered an undesirable trait in kids and adults may actually be beneficial. Small amounts of activity throughout the day can have a cumulative positive effect on our health.

“Our results support the suggestion that it’s best to avoid sitting still for long periods of time,” says Cade, “and even fidgeting may offer enough of a break to make a difference.”

Lakeside Executive Suites welcomes you to fidget all you want and increase your lifespan in our first-class business center. Lakeside Executive Suites is Weston’s premier workspace provider. Our full service office space and virtual office solutions provide a professional meeting space, a place to conduct business, and an opportunity to converse with other like-minded professionals. From executive meeting rooms to live phone answering service, mail receipt and mail forwarding services, reception service, and a prestigious business address…our Lakeside Executive Suites has everything your business needs.

Officing with us means you gain back time in your day to improve your mental and physical health which are key components to running a successful business. To learn more visit us on the web at www.lesweston.com or call (954) 389-2511.

Source: Forbes