ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Studies show most of us spend between eight and ten hours a day seated. We all know being sedentary is bad for our health, but could there be an easy way to counteract this effect? Here is why fidgeting may be the answer.
New research is showing fidgeting can be a good thing! British investigators found women who didn’t fidget much and sat for seven hours a day or more had an increased risk of dying. But those who were described as middle to high “fidgeters” had no increased risk of death. In another study, University of Missouri researchers found fidgeting helps fight reduced blood flow when we sit. Researchers had volunteers sit for three hours. They kept one leg perfectly still, but fidgeted the other leg. The result; there was less reduction in blood flow in the fidgeting legs.
And there’s more good news for fidgeters. Mayo Clinic researchers found fidgeting could help you burn off as much as 350 calories a day, that could add up to ten to 30 pounds a year! So now you have permission to keep on squirming, tapping, and moving.
Past studies have shown obese people tend to be much less fidgety than lean people. To get the most out of fidgeting, experts say move as many body parts as possible. Twiddling your thumbs, tapping your toes, and squeezing your abdominal muscles while sitting still are just some ways to effectively fidget to burn calories.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer and Editor; Gabriella Battistiol, News Assistant.
