Fitness & Exercise

Fidget Your Way to Longer Life

Stealthy Moves

The participants' self-rated physical activity levels were pretty similar across the board. No group claimed to be much more active than everyone else.

But the objective data told a different story. In other words, some participants burned calories without even noticing it.

"Most importantly, this accumulation is from usual daily activities that expend energy and not necessarily from volitional exercise," write Manini and colleagues.

And by the researchers' calculations, every extra 287 calories burned per day roughly equaled a 30% drop in participants' death rate.

'Striking' Findings

The findings need to be confirmed, partly because the study was small, the researchers note.

Journal editorialists Steven Blair, PED, and William Haskell, PhD, agree.

Blair works in Dallas at The Cooper Institute; Blair is on staff at Stanford University's medical school. They call Manini's study "striking."

But will ultra-easy activity -- like getting up to change the TV channel manually -- really add to your years? Stay tuned.

"Ultimately, public health experts should consider how these results can be translated into recommendations for individuals," Blair and Haskell write.

Meanwhile, you've nothing to lose by adding more activity to your day, even if it's the type that makes personal trainers yawn.