Researchers in the United Kingdom, in a recent study, found that small movements of hands and feet can help to counteract the negative health effects of sedentary lifestyle. In other words, they said the notion that 'sitting is the new smoking' may not apply if you fidget.

Long period of sitting has been linked to serious health risks with a series of studies findings a sedentary lifestyle increases the likelihood of obesity, heart disease and earlier death.

According to a study published this week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, fidgeting during work may counteract the adverse health effects of sitting for long periods of time.

Researchers from the University of Leeds and the University College London examined data on almost 13,000 women, aged 37 to 78 who participated in the University of Leeds' UK Women's Cohort Study, one of the largest cohort studies of diet and health of women in the UK.

The study participants were asked to answer on their average daily sitting time and rated their frequency of fidgeting on a scale from one to 10. They were also asked about their diets, exercise habits and how much they smoked and drank alcohol.

The women initially filled out the questionnaires from 1999 to 2002, and were followed for an average of 12 years. The researchers found that women who sat for seven or more hours per day were 30% more likely to have died from any cause than women who sat for five hours or less.

Study co-lead author Professor Janet Cade from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, said, "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".