While standing more than sitting may not immediately help you lose weight, it certainly helps you maintain your current weight and reduces some health risks.
Office workers often spend 8 to 10-12 hours a day sitting. Even those who are physically active tend to spend a large portion of their day in chairs.
Prolonged sitting is one of the factors that can increase the risk of certain diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular issues, and diabetes.
When standing, you activate your muscle mass and burn more calories. (Photo: iStock).
A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2018 revealed that standing instead of sitting for 6 hours a day could help prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of certain diseases.
The study aimed to determine whether standing burns more calories than sitting. Researchers analyzed results from a total of 46 studies involving 1,184 participants, with an average age of 33 years, 60% of whom were men.
Researchers found that a person sitting burns about 65-85 calories per hour, while standing can burn between 70-95 calories per hour. The calorie-burning rate depends on individual muscle mass, weight, height, and age.
By standing instead of sitting for 6 hours each day, a person weighing 65 kg would burn an additional 54 calories per day. This number may not seem significant, but “little by little adds up,” and by changing your habit to stand more than sit throughout the day, you will see how effective it can be.
Assuming your food intake does not increase, standing for 6 hours each day (not continuously) would equate to a weight loss of 2.5 kg per year and a reduction of 10 kg over 4 years.
Why Do You Burn More Calories When Standing?
Every activity your body performs, including breathing, eating, and even sleeping, burns calories. However, different activities consume different amounts of energy.
Your body burns more calories when you are moving. Sitting or lying down expends the least amount of calories.
When standing, you activate your muscle mass. This muscle mass helps you burn more calories.
Note that men typically burn more calories because they generally have a greater muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the faster you burn calories, and vice versa.
When you stand, you tend to move your body more. (Photo: iStock).
Additionally, when you stand, you are more likely to move your body with spontaneous movements like shifting from one foot to the other or moving to nearby positions. These activities increase your body temperature and enhance calorie-burning capacity.
According to Dr. Farzane Saeidifard, a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, “standing is better than sitting, but you need more activity” to lose weight and improve overall health. On a calorie-burning scale from 0-100, activities like swimming and running score 100, sitting scores 0, while standing falls around 5-10.
Other Benefits of Standing Instead of Sitting
In addition to burning calories, standing can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
The senior author of the study, Professor Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, head of the Preventive Cardiology Department at the Mayo Clinic, stated: “Standing not only burns more calories but the additional muscle activity is also associated with reduced rates of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, so the benefits of standing extend beyond just weight management.”
Standing more can also minimize the risk of developing a rounded back, which is an inward curvature of the spine. While some curvature to a degree is normal, significant curvature can put pressure on your spine.
Standing can even help build muscle tone. Certain muscles not only activate when transitioning from sitting to standing but also need to work continuously to keep you upright.
Add standing minutes to your daily routine. (Photo: iStock).
However, Don’t Stand Too Much
Like any posture, standing for too long can actually be more harmful than beneficial.
Scientists in a 2017 study observed 20 adults participating in a trial where they stood for 2 continuous hours while working on computers in a laboratory.
The results showed that while standing improved the participants’ creative problem-solving abilities, after standing continuously for 2 hours, they experienced fatigue, blood pooling in their legs, and overall discomfort.
Therefore, you should be cautious when transitioning from sitting to standing for extended periods. To gradually adapt, start by standing an additional 10-15 minutes each day and progressively increase as appropriate. It’s important to listen to your body.
How to add standing minutes to your daily routine is up to you. The general rule is to stand for at least 1 minute after every 30 minutes of sitting, or longer.
Suggestions for Adding Standing Time to Your Day
- At work, when receiving phone calls, stand up to take them instead of sitting.
- Set a timer to remind you to stand every 30 minutes.
- If you have a quick meeting, consider standing for the meeting instead of sitting.
- At home, make it a habit to walk around the house for a few minutes every half hour or hour.
- Stand while making phone calls, texting, or browsing on your smartphone.
Don’t lie or sit watching TV for hours on end; instead, stand to watch your favorite shows and only sit down occasionally. Don’t let the comfort of the sofa lure you in; always remember: “Standing burns calories much better than sitting or lying down.”
