As per studies, fidgeting can help reduce risk of heart diseases and have other health benefits. Southwestern Medical Center researchers at University of Texas have found that if you sit for long hours then it effectively cancels out the advantages gained from any exercise routine. Employees who try to go for a quick gym workout during lunch hours may only be canceling out the negative effects of sitting on the computer in the morning.
Why People Fidget?
The reason behind people fidgeting is that the section of brain responsible for fidgeting also connects with speech and movement. Thus, it is clear that gestures are needed to prepare our thoughts and build speech. In study conducted on schoolchildren in the age group 6-8, it was found that those children who moved their hands while taking part in a lesson had the better chance of getting the right answer.
Apart from neurological relation, there is also cognitive load hypothesis according to which at times when a person has to work on complex problems or thoughts, the person normally offloads a part of the cognitive load onto movements to free up some resources for devoting to mental process.
There is also evidence that fidgeters tend to have faster metabolism and thereby low BMIs as compared to other people. People who sit whole day are found to lose extra 350 calories if they fidget during afternoons. Fidgeting in addition to other incidental physical activity is also known to assist in maintaining fitness levels. These incidental physical activities may include thing like hurriedly catching the bus.
Fidgeting and Its Health Benefits
If you are fidgeting then you can maintain your fitness levels and have a healthy heart. Apart from exercises, moving around during the day can have a significant effect on our health as well as fitness. A study on about two thousand men and women proved this fact. In the study, it was found that sitting down at a stretch for around two hours was as harmful as twenty minutes of daily exercises are beneficial.
Till now we knew that exercises can reduce risk of heart problems but according to this study, if you are sitting down for long periods then negate the benefits of exercises. Thus, any form of movement is good for your health; you can get up and stretch while sitting down for long time, fidget, change positions regularly and walk while talking on phone.
Break Up the Sitting Time
If you want to remain healthy then you will have to break up the sitting time. You can stretch your legs and move around for a few minutes at regular intervals to remain fit and avoid becoming a couch potato. It is however also important to have about 160 minutes of exercises every week to stay fit but less arduous activities are also useful.
Some of the activities, which may not feel like an exercise but are equally important include things like wiggling while hearing songs, bouncing on heels and walking around the house in between advertisement while watching television.
Risk of Metabolic Diseases
If we are able to reduce the time we sit, then it helps to break fats and sugars easily, thereby reducing risk of problems such as diabetes and heart diseases. You should not to sit for long hours and if you can break it after every thirty minutes, then it will be quite beneficial for your overall health.
Summary:
Fitness is quite important lower risks of heart diseases and other health problems. Fidgeting is proving to be an efficient way of keeping us active and ward of these health risks that are associated with sitting for long hours.