We all have been told again and again to sit still. There is  some notion that by moving we aren’t paying attention or are being down right rude.  The truth is we are wiggling our way to better health. The  definition of “fidget” makes it feel wrong:

"Make small movements, especially of the hands and feet, through nervousness or impatience.". The synonyms add to the pile of negativity: " move restlessly, wriggle, squirm, twitch, jiggle, shuffle, be agitated; jittery"

You don’t have to be nervous or impatient to fidget and most people would freely admit that fidgeting can be fun!

In 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a study which reveled “ that shifting, shaking and moving in your seat may help reduce the connection between sitting and mortality."

Dr. Gareth Hagger-Johnson of University College London 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”

This is a particularly striking finding, given that previous research has found that not even exercise can compensate for the effects of sitting.

In an article for. The Conversation Harriet Demsey Jones writes "Cognitive research suggests that fidgeting is associated with how stimulated we are. That is, fidgeting may be a self-regulation mechanism to help us boost or lower our attention levels depending on what is required – either calming or energizing us."

So be twitchy, flicky, squishy squirmy, In other words, those fidgety movements could counteract the nasty health effects of sitting around all day. And that’s great news for the twitchiest among us.