The researchers found that standing burned 0.15 calories (kcals) per minute more than sitting. By substituting standing for sitting for six hours a day, a 143.3-pound adult would expend an extra 54 calories (kcals) in six hours.
Standing up and moving more, however, can help people maintain a healthy weight and reduce this type of abdonimal fat. Even small changes can help. In the study, people had to stand for only one minute for it to count as a break.
Simply standing for 6 hours per day instead of sitting down can help you to lose weight, research suggests.
Sitting behind your desk all day is bad for your health and experts have long been advising people to stand at their workstations for about 15 minutes an hour. But a University of Waterloo professor says his research shows that people should be standing for at least 30 minutes per hour to get health benefits.
Standing burns more calories than sitting (186 calories vs. 139 calories). Walking at a moderate pace burns more calories than standing (324 calories vs. 186 calories).
Multiple studies have shown people typically burn more calories standing than sitting. One study showed that adults who weigh 143 pounds burn 0.15 more calories a minute when standing versus sitting. If you stand for six hours per day instead of sitting, you burn around 54 additional calories.
Standing doesn't count as exercise, and, unlike running or cycling, there is there is no evidence that simply standing at work improves cardiovascular health.
As much as prolonged sitting is harmful to your heart, so is prolonged standing. When you stand for too long, your blood tends to pool in your legs, unable to properly circulate around the body. In effect, the veins have to work doubly hard to distribute the blood evenly to parts that need it.
Experts suggest to move around and change positions throughout the day. It is best not to sit in one position for more than 20 minutes, or to stand in one position for more than 8 minutes.
“Studies have shown that increasing time spent standing versus sitting can enhance weight loss efforts and reduce the risk of weight gain over time,” says Carolyn Newberry, M.D., a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.
Generally speaking, sitting or standing in the same position for more than 20 minutes per day is detrimental to your health.
Why is standing good for you? Researchers think it's because standing exercises muscles in your abdomen, butt and legs that are necessary to keep you upright for an extended period. Working out muscles helps to control blood sugar and blood fat levels, which can lower cholesterol.
Experts have found that you should try to stand for at least 2 hours per day, but up to 4 hours per day could be optimal. This might seem like a lot, but there are lots of ways you can fit standing into your day.
Standing is a natural human posture and by itself poses no particular health hazard. However, working in a standing position on a regular basis can cause sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, general muscular fatigue, low back pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, and other health problems.
It strengthens leg muscles and improves balance. It burns more calories than sitting. It is also a great antidote to the formation of blood clots deep in the legs. When you sit for long periods, blood flow slows through the legs.
Muscle fatigue, back pain, and leg swelling. All these conditions can arise from or get aggravated by standing for extended periods. Sure, it's not healthy to sit in one place for long hours, but neither is standing. In fact, in some cases, the effects of prolonged standing can actually be worse!
When you stand, you burn anywhere from 100 to 200 calories an hour. It all depends on your sex, age, height, and weight. Sitting, by comparison, only burns 60 to 130 calories an hour.
You've gained muscle.
And here's an often overlooked fact: Muscle tissue is more dense than fat tissue. So as you gain more muscle and lose fat, you change your overall body composition, which can result in a higher weight, but a smaller figure and better health.
"The biggest thing people do that slows their metabolism down is eating too few calories," said Fiore. 1200 calories per day is roughly the amount you need to perform basic functions, she suggested, and when a person eats fewer than that, the metabolism slows down to conserve energy.