Calories Burned Standing vs Sitting - Is it Worth it?

In this day and age, many people find themselves sitting for long periods of time at work or at home.

Since excessive sitting poses major health concerns, many have considered looking into standing as a way to counteract these adverse effects.

Standing generally burns much more calories than sitting, but the exact amount depends on many factors such as weight, age, and activity level.

While standing is known to have more benefits, prolonged standing also has its share of health concerns that you should look out for.

In this article, you will learn about:

• Calories and what they really are
• Why standing burns more calories than sitting
• The factors that affect how many calories a person burns
• The benefits of standing
• How you can increase the amount of time you spend standing

Let’s dive into it!

What Does It Mean to “Burn Calories”?

A calorie is simply a measure of stored energy. We get calories from the glucose in our food, and then we “burn” them to power our bodily processes such as movement, digestion, brain functions, and much more.

It’s very important to get the right amount of calories in a day if we want an optimally functioning body.

Hence, the old-fashioned way of losing weight—going on a calorie-restrictive diet—can be dangerous when done excessively.

Although a low-calorie diet can potentially mean that less energy is stored in our fat cells and we lose weight, it nevertheless has plenty of adverse side effects if carried out excessively.

These include poor sleep quality, low energy levels, lowered ability to think or focus, and a loss of muscle mass.

Instead of reducing our caloric intake below healthy levels, we should be trying to increase the calories we “burn”.

While exercise is the best way to do this, it can still be done by simply spending more time standing!

How to Calculate Caloric Expenditure

A huge part of increasing how many calories we burn involves calculating caloric expenditure. Caloric expenditure refers to how much energy (measured in calories) our body burns during a certain amount of time.

However, calculating how many calories an activity burns can be quite tricky. As a result, the best way to check your caloric expenditure is not on an hourly basis, but on a weekly one.

To get a rough idea of what your weekly caloric expenditure is, try plugging your vital statistics into a calorie calculator!

A Comparison of Calories Burned Standing vs Sitting

Generally, standing burns more calories than sitting. To illustrate, a person weighing 175 lbs burns roughly 160 calories when standing for an hour compared to 104 calories burned when sitting.

The difference of almost 60 calories definitely compounds enough to be significant when calculating how many calories you burn each week.

If you’re an office worker who spends roughly six hours sitting by your desk, the difference adds up to 1,620 calories. That’s about the same as an entire day’s worth of calories that a sedentary person burns!

Aside from the activity, your weight also affects how many calories you burn. Between two people whose weights are 200 lbs and 150 lbs, the heavier person burns almost 50 more calories when standing for an hour.

Why Do You Burn More Calories While Standing?

The main reason why standing burns more calories than sitting is that the activity requires most of your muscles to be engaged, from your feet all the way up your core and back.

Activating these large muscle groups requires a constant flow of energy, resulting in greater caloric burn.

When you’re standing, you’re also allowing your body to do small movements that contribute to your overall caloric expenditure.

The Factors That Affect How Many Calories You Burn

There are several other factors involved in determining how many calories you burn.

Weight

One of the most important factors in calorie consumption is weight. Generally, the heavier you weigh, the more energy you require to maintain normal bodily processes – and the greater the amount of calories that you burn.

If you intend to lose weight, keep in mind that as your body weight decreases, the amount of calories you burn also lowers.

Muscle Mass

People with bulky muscles will burn more calories just to maintain these muscles compared to someone who weighs the same but has a lower muscle mass.

It can be tricky to estimate muscle mass and body fat percentage because it usually requires a caliper measurement or underwater scales. Therefore an accurate representation may not be doable online.

Age

Your metabolism generally slows as you age, and recent research reveals that you can expect your metabolism to plateau when you’re between 20 and 60 years old (before it eventually declines).

While your metabolic rate might remain the same, you could experience lower caloric burn because you’re losing muscle mass at a rate of about 3–5% per decade after you reach the age of 30.

And, as you already know, having a larger muscle mass results in greater caloric burn.

Activity Level

This is the most important factor when it comes to calorie consumption and is something you can directly control. A person’s activity level is mostly physical, although intense mental activity has also been reported to burn calories.

A person with a more active lifestyle will burn more calories than someone who’s sedentary. Further, the intensity of someone’s activity also impacts how many calories they burn.

The Other Benefits of Standing

Posture

The “C” shape that the spine takes when sitting causes uneven pressure on the spinal disks.

This leads to all kinds of problems down the road and can worsen back pain and poor posture. Standing properly helps solve these problems.

Circulation

When you stand, you’re providing your body with a more efficient way to shuttle blood to your cells all throughout the body.

This results in greater oxygen delivery to the muscles and provides many other benefits such as a reduced risk of cancer and ensuring healthier joints.

Productivity

Finally, some people swear that standing increases productivity, but this varies from person to person.

It’s been theorised that the increased blood flow and good posture that standing brings help the brain to act more efficiently and make the individual feel more energised. It’s unclear if this productivity boost continues into the long term, however.

Can You Stand Too Much?

In the same way that there’s a lethal dose of every healthy food, there’s also a limit to how much you should stand.

Standing for extended periods of time with barely any movement can lead to the locking up of the joints of the hips, knees, and ankles, and blood pooling at your feet.

In your workday, strive to stand for about 45 minutes per hour to gain the maximum benefits of standing.

How to Increase Your Standing Time

Now that you know the benefits of standing compared to sitting, here are a few ways that you can increase the amount of time that you stand:

• Invest in a standing desk. These desks are designed to be lowered or raised at a moment's notice, so you can switch between standing or sitting while you work.
• Try periodically shifting your weight between your left and right foot to help reduce the discomfort that comes with prolonged standing
• Make sure to exercise properly, with special emphasis on your core. Stronger core muscles will help your spine take its natural form, resulting in better posture and reduced discomfort.

The Verdict

Because standing is an easy and excellent way to passively burn calories, it’s a good activity to incorporate into your day.

However, you should keep in mind that excessive standing can also pose health concerns. To avoid this, set up your workspace so that you can cycle through multiple positions each day. For a full rundown of the benefits of standing desks, check out our article; 8 Incredible Benefits of Standing Desks.

After all, staying healthy is essential to high energy levels and greater productivity.