Do you shake your leg or tap your foot all day long? Or maybe someone you know does it and it drives you nuts. Well, it may irritate people around you – or make you appear restless. But it’s a sign of good health! Because it dramatically cuts your risk of cardiovascular disease – by offsetting some of the damage we do by sitting all day. That’s according to experts from the University of Missouri.

For their study, researchers monitored hundreds of office workers – and tested their leg muscle function before the experiment began. Then, workers sitting at a desk were asked to tap one foot for a minute at a time, off and on, over and over, during a 3-hour span. Then they tested the leg muscle function again afterward. The result?

The researchers found the leg that people tapped repeatedly had a much higher blood flow than the other. In fact, blood flow slowed dramatically in the stationary leg.

And the researchers concluded that even that tiny bit of movement was enough to improve overall circulation and thus heart health.

So, if you have a desk job – or sit for long stretches of time, tap your feet – jiggle your leg – or fidget in any way you like. It’s no substitute for getting up and moving every hour – but it’ll help keep your blood moving.

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