Table of contents:
- Benefits of fidget spinner for health
- Fidgeting can help children with ADHD, can it?
- Tips for making fidget spinners safe for children to play
When you're nervous, waiting for something that won't come or get bored, what will you do? Just shut up or do something? Usually, when someone or maybe including you is silent for a long time, you will unconsciously start moving your body as a sign of boredom / restlessness. Or, you'll be looking for something to play with, like the tip of a pen or something that is nearby. And, do you know if the activity is referred to by the term "fidgeting"? Fidgeting is a technique used to help you reduce stress and keep your brain focused on something. Well, lately there is a trend for a toy called the fidget spinner. And, it turns out that the benefits of the fidget spinner are numerous. Anything?
Benefits of fidget spinner for health
The amount of activity that must be done in a sitting position tends to make the legs barely move. The consequence is, your body will rarely do physical activity which is good for the health of the body. As a result, you will be at risk for weight gain and even diabetes. Sitting too long can also cause you to lose focus, making it easier for you to experience stress.
Studies conducted at the University of Leicester show that prolonged sitting can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and increase premature death. In fact, other studies have shown that prolonged sitting can cause a sudden and significant reduction in blood flow to the legs, which can lead to atherosclerosis.
Then, one way to overcome this is to stand and move because this will help the leg muscles to contract and keep blood flow stable.
However, what about the person who can't stand for a long time? How can they reduce the negative effects of sitting too long and keep them focused? The solution is to move the body - head, hands, feet, etc. - for a few minutes, play with certain tools such as the tip of a pen, paper, etc., or use "Fidget Spinners".
Fidget spinners are a device with a stable center and a disc with two or three oars that can be spun, like a ceiling fan. This device that is rotated between the fingers was originally used for children with anxiety, autism, and ADHD.
Fidgeting can help children with ADHD, can it?
Certain toys have been known to calm children with sensory processing problems such as austism and ADHD. However, until now there has been no research that can prove the benefits of fidget spinners for children with ADHD.
After all, treatment of mental illnesses including autism and ADHD requires comprehensive care. Starting from changes in lifestyle, environment, therapy, to special treatment that is tailored to your needs.
Study in Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology conducted by Rapport et al. in 2015 showed that boys with ADHD, when put in a swivel chair and allowed to rotate, performed better on memory tests. In contrast, children without ADHD actually performed worse than those who did without turning chairs.
So, it can be concluded that the impact of playing the fidget spinner on everyone - including children with ADHD - is not the same. However, Rapport suspects that the fidget spinner will not be of much help because playing the fidget spinner does not require harsh body movements which can be responsible for increasing activity in the frontal and prefrontal brain areas that play a role in maintaining focus / attention.
Tips for making fidget spinners safe for children to play
Today, many people are looking for fidget spinners. Its small shape, the sound it produces, and the colors that flash when it is played are its own joy for its users. The benefits of the fidget spinner are also quite a lot. So, it is not surprising that fidget spinners are now sought after by many people ranging from young children to adults.
However, parents still need to pay attention to their children when playing with the fidget spinner. Because, children can be at risk of choking on some small parts of the fidget spinner.
Parents need to pay attention to the age label, buy a fidget spinner at a trusted store to make sure it passes the test, follow the tips for playing the fidget spinner, make sure the spinner battery is locked, and check for broken parts that could be a source of danger for a child to choke.
