An Employee in Motion

Posted by: Bob Stott

As I finish up another intense air drum solo (to a standing ovation, I might add from the spider plant and the collection of multi-colored highlighters) to the wicked drumbeat from "Thanks for the Memories" courtesy of Fallout Boy, I could not help but notice the accelerated heartbeat and the tiniest bit of perspiration, the standard package deal that comes from flailing your arms in front of you for even a few seconds at a time. While my wild moves might not solidify my standing at the office as a balanced and reserved individual, new research says that I might be doing the best possible thing for someone who spends a majority of their day in a stationary position.

A study published in the journal Science has revealed that fidgeters – my people, the ones who cannot seem to stop their incessant foot-tapping, thumb twiddling, head bobbing, or incoherent humming to no audible song – are thinner, on average, than non-fidgeters.

The study found that sedentary (the statues of the workplace) burn at least 350 fewer calories compared to even a low-level fidgeter (the fairly infrequent foot tapper). The study suggests that sedentary people prefer to sit still due to a genetic predisposition, while many fidgeters are afflicted with opposing genetic tendencies that require freedom of movement and activities that match the amount of food intake.

While full-blown fidgeters are known to be an annoyance in the workplace, as much they were in school with the pencil tapping on the desk, many of the fidget behaviors either go unnoticed or are of no bother to anyone. The study suggests that an easy way for obese people to lose weight is to simply speed up their metabolism a little each day – essentially, just fidget more.

For those not predisposed to move while working (some find it a distraction to their workflow as opposed to the focusing element that fidgeters feel it induces), there are a few simple ways to incorporate more motion into routine activities, even without the full-blown air instrumental solo. The trick is to maintain a 'motion-minded' perspective. Putting a post-it on the side of your computer that reads simply 'Move' can usually provide sufficient motivation for a few seconds of activity. Recommended methods of the new 'fidget diet' are:

• Tap your feet

• Swing your legs

• Drum your fingers

• Stand up and stretch at intervals

• Move your head from side to side

• Change your position every ten minutes

• Wriggle and fidget

• Pace up and down

• Don't use the internal phone – go in person

• Use the bathroom on a different floor

• Park in the far corner of the parking lot

• Stand up while you're on the phone

• Clench and release your muscles