Get-fit tip: Fidget!
The next time you’re restless at work, fidgeting at your desk or pacing between your cubicle and the copier, pat yourself on the back. Your movement is contributing to your cardiovascular health.
Researchers at Queen’s University have been studying incidental physical activity (IPA), looking at both the duration and intensity of our movements outside the gym. They’ve concluded a daily 30-minute increase in moderate physical activity offers significant health benefits, including cutting the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“It’s encouraging to know that if we just increase our incidental activity slightly — a little bit more work around the house, or walking down the hall to speak with a co-worker as opposed to sending an email — we can really benefit our health in the long-term,” says Ashlee McGuire, the study’s lead researcher.
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The study followed participants who engaged solely in non-purposeful, incidental physical activities (IPA) and who failed to meet Canada’s physical activity guidelines. The test subjects were also abdominally obese.
Participants wore accelerometers as they went about their lives. The intensity of housework, stair-climbing and walking around the office was monitored. The study found short bursts of activity throughout the day improved fitness levels, which in turn can encourage fitness-phobes to up the intensity in their day-to-day tasks if the gym isn’t an option.
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“These findings are important because many people do not perform the types of physical activity typically recommended for health benefit (such as 30 minutes per day of structured activity that raises your heart rate) or do not like to perform structured physical activity," McGuire said.
It’s not just about heart health, either. Past studies have linked fidgeting to weight loss, too. So stand up, grab a coffee, and walk over to a coworker — with a little extra pep in that step.
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