Want to boost your health? Fidget! Restless movements 'undo the damage caused by sitting for a long time'
- Fidgeting can improve markers of good health, such as body mass index
- Leeds University and University College London first to examine its impact
- Research has shown that sitting for long periods raises risk of early death
It might drive your colleagues mad, but fidgeting may be good for you.
Research suggests the restless movement can counteract the adverse effects of sitting for long periods.
Breaks in sitting time have been shown to improve markers of good health, such as body mass index.
Do NOT sit still: Fidgeting and breaks in sitting time have been shown to improve markers of good health, a study by scientists at Leeds University and University College London has found
But a study by scientists at Leeds University and University College London is the first to examine the impact of fidgeting.
It found sitting for long periods raised the risk of early death for women who said they fidget only occasionally.
But those who described themselves as moderately or very fidgety had no increased risk of early death from sitting.
Even among adults who meet recommended physical activity levels and who sleep for eight hours per night, it is possible to spend the vast majority of the day of up to 15 hours sitting down.
There is growing evidence a sedentary lifestyle is bad for health, even if people are physically active outside work.
Breaks in sitting time have previously been shown to improve markers of good health, such as body mass index and the body's glucose and insulin responses.
But until now, no study has ever examined whether fidgeting might have an impact on sitting time and death rates.
Fidget away: British research suggests the restless movement can counteract the adverse effects of sitting for long periods
Professor Janet Cade, from Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition said: 'While further research is needed, the findings raise questions about whether the negative associations with fidgeting, such as rudeness or lack of concentration, should persist if such simple movements are beneficial for our health.'
The team examined data from the University of Leeds' UK Women's Cohort Study, one of the largest cohort studies of diet and health of women in the UK.
It gathered information on a wide range of eating patterns of more than 35,000 women aged 35 to 69
The new study analyses data from a follow-up survey sent to the same women, which included questions on health behaviours, chronic disease, physical activity levels and fidgeting.
More than 14,000 responses were received.
Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson from UCL said: 'Our results support the suggestion that it's best to avoid sitting still for long periods of time, and even fidgeting may offer enough of a break to make a difference.'
The findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
- Albanian lands news anchor role after raunchy screen test
- UFO filmed speeding through sky over Port Jefferson New York
- Six-year-old's heartfelt lecture to mom and dad not to fight
- Martin Shkreli: At $750 a pill, drug is still UNDERPRICED
- Steve Harvey dumbstruck by Family Feud contestant's answer
- Terrifying footage shows 'paranormal activity' inside...
- Big brown bear gets ANGRY when confronted by homeowners!
- Meet Pepper! The child-sized humanoid robot
- Suspect in horrific girlfriend murder: I was drunk
- Carly Fiorina sings about lazy dog Snickers on Jimmy Fallon
- GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz gets booed on Colbert
- Shocking moment man tries to rape female colleague at work
- SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Billionaire's whole family is struck...
- No sex please, we're robots! Buyers of hit new 'emotional...
- EXCLUSIVE: How $7.25-an-hour waitress, 19, won Hollywood...
- Backpacker, 24, dies in Peru after drinking hallucinogenic...
- Soldier uses a GoPro camera to prove his estranged wife's...
- Blackmail selfie? Be my guest: Bed photo of NHL star, 43,...
- Pictured: Florida woman who was brutally violated and had...
- Meet the most despised man in the world: Global outrage as...
- Confirmed UFO sighting or just a drone? Researchers still...
- That's one way to make headlines! Wannabe TV reporter...
- Licensed to spill! Daniel Craig is booziest James Bond ever...
- I ain't talkin' to you, darling! 'Condescending' Robert De...