People who can't resist fidgeting while they work may want to stop trying to kick the habit, because a new study suggests all that toe tapping and pencil rapping may be good for their health.

Previous research has linked long stretches of sedentary time – whether facing a computer or watching TV – with poor health outcomes even in people who get plenty of exercise, the researchers note in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

But in the new study, among women who sat around for five to six hours a day, heavy fidgeting was linked to a significantly lower mortality risk over the study period than staying perfectly still in their chairs.