Study finds using moveable footrests while sitting increases metabolic rate

Hours and hours of sitting during the day is bad for our health.  But, sitting for long stretches at a time is a fact of life for many who work at desk jobs all day.  One way to counteract the negative effects of sitting is exercise.  However, just doing a single bout of physical activity into a thirty minute time frame of a day may not be enough to overcome the damage caused by prolonged sitting and an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

Many companies recognize the health ramifications of having workers sit for hours on end on the job.  Previous studies have shown that individuals who work at a desk have larger waists and a greater risk of heart disease.  Many workers are also aware of the dangers to their health from too much sitting and not enough movement.  That is why companies across the nation are beginning to offer to their workers more ways to be mobile while on the job by providing standing desks, treadmill desks, organizing lunchtime activities, offering yoga, or regular walking breaks. 

Studies have been showing that employees who use sit-stand desks not only stood for 60 additional minutes than people who remained seated but they also burned 87 more calories per day.

New study on how fidgeting increases metabolic rate

However, not all companies or work-places are on board with the concept of providing workers with more options of fitting in movement during their work day.  It is always best to avoid being sedentary for long periods but one way to still keep physically active even at a desk job is to fidget.  Fidgeting has been demonstrated to help counteract the adverse effects of sitting.

New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago looked at how fidgeting could possibly be a different way of keeping mobile at a sedentary job to help increase metabolic rate.   To study this effect, researchers did a comparison between three different situations - workers who simply sat at their desk, workers who used a standing desk and workers who sat at a desk but used a desk with a fitted movable footrest allowing the feet to swing, teeter, or twist.

The small study had participants move through the three different stages for 15 minute time intervals of sitting, standing at a desk, or sitting with the fitted movable footrest.  During each stage, metabolic data and heart data were collected on each participant.

What was found was that when participants used the desk fitted with the moving device, their metabolic rate increased by 7 percent more than when standing and 17 percent more than when just sitting.

Researchers with the study stated that the results suggest that NEAT (non-exercise active thermogenesis) can increase movement and the number of calories burned having the potential to improve people’s health.  The researchers also stated that NEAT or simply incorporating more fidgeting in our daily lives, is something most of us can do.  Evidence is suggesting that NEAT could be a viable solution for individuals who are unable to use standing desks due to an injury or disability.