Fidgeting Has A Surprising Health Benefit

Sitting down is becoming as much of a problem as unhealthy eating. As jobs become more knowledge-oriented, and computers become our work space, sitting for hours at a time just seems like something we’ve all accepted as fate. And it’s not good at all.

There’s been a number of notable studies come our in the last few years, highlighting all the negative effects of sitting down. To cut straight to the point, it kills you. Mortality rates soar 30% higher for people that sit for 7 or more hours a day. There’s an answer, say you’re too busy to go to the gym and leaving for hour breaks is near impossible — you can fidget. Huffington Post has more:

A?study published today?in the?American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that shifting, shaking and moving in your seat may help reduce the connection between sitting and mortality. Long periods of sitting each day, a mainstay of office life, are associated with several?adverse health effects, including earlier death.

Researchers found that sitting for long periods of time (defined as 7 hours or more) was associated with?a 30 percent rise in mortality risk?only?for?those?who?fidgeted at a low frequency. There was no additional mortality risk for middle and high frequency fidgeters, they found.

That foot-tapping guy that sits next you might be annoying, but they’re extending their life. Maybe it’s time we all tapped along. Check out the full post for all of the details.