A Standing Desk Helps You Lose Weight

Start “Thinking on your feet” in the literal sense and shed those extra kilos!

A new study finds that standing during work hours could help you lose weight and get slimmer. It is no surprise that coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer are the top five conditions specifically linked to physical inactivity. If changing a minor habit at workplace helps you avoid these fatal diseases, why not start implementing it?

Energy Expenditure, Weight Loss

The study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology examined whether standing burns more calories than sitting. It was purely based on the calculation of the amount of energy spent doing both activities. Researchers at Mayo Clinic analyzed results from more than 40 studies, involving approximately 1100 participants who were on an average, 33-years-old. The results showed that on an average standing burned 0.15 kcal/min which equals to 54 kcal/day if spent six hours standing. All this without any changes in the diet or a visit to the gym.

Tiny Step, Huge Impact

Although it looks like a marginal difference, its long-term impact means losing 2.5 kg in one year and 10 kg in four years. “Standing for long periods of time for many adults may seem unmanageable, especially those who have desk jobs, but, for the person who sits for 12 hours a day, cutting sitting time to half would give great benefits,” said senior author Professor Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, US.

The researchers say that their study may be an understatement because people generally tend to use more muscles when standing. “Our results might be an underestimate because when people stand they tend to make spontaneous movements like shifting weight or swaying from one foot to another, taking small steps forward and back. People may even be more likely to walk to the filing cabinet or trash bin,” added Professor Lopez-Jimenez.

Sit Less, Lose More

The statistics from America’s Health Rankings also shows that more than 31 million women and 25 million men are physically inactive. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Professor Lopez-Jimenez concluded, “It’s important to avoid sitting for hours at a time. Standing is a very good first step — no pun intended — to avoid this mindset of sitting interminably without moving. Who knows, it may also prompt some people to do a little more and take up some mild physical activity, which would be even more beneficial.”