You don't need a standing desk — as long as you're a fidgeter

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published 23 September 2015

Good news, standing desk haters: Fidgeting while sitting might do the trick. While we've long heard the downsides of sitting all day long, a new study published Wednesday in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests that if you're fidgeting while you're sitting, spending hours at your desk might not be so bad for you after all.

When 14,000 British women between the ages of 35 and 69 were surveyed to determine the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, researchers found that, when all other factors were accounted for, "the increased mortality was only seen in the group that reported the lowest level of fidgeting," The Washington Post reports. "While further research is needed, the findings raise questions about whether the negative associations with fidgeting, such as rudeness or lack of concentration, should persist if such simple movements are beneficial for our health," researcher Janet Cade said in a statement.

Still, researchers caution that fidgeting won't totally cancel out the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Taking walks during the day and being active outside of the office are still key to staying healthy. So while you probably shouldn't cancel your gym membership, this study should at the very least make you feel less guilty for being the only one in your office who hasn't joined the standing desk craze.