I was thumbing through the July/August edition of my favorite magazine: Men’s Health, and I read an interesting tip that I thought would be perfect for the One Step Closer Tip.
On page 183, the editors suggest that people stand up at work instead of sitting. They site a study that found that people who sit for more than 6 hours a day are 68% more likely to be overweight.
The editors also suggest that we all ask for a stand-up desk. They state that we will burn an extra calorie per minute of standing versus sitting.
Research
The idea of burning an extra 60 calories an hour just by standing intrigued me; but I wanted to verify those numbers.
I searched online and in my literature for calories burned while standing and while sitting. The estimates were all over the place. I found references that calorie differences as low as zero and as high as 80 calories per hour.
Calories burned
I am sure that the difference is not zero because there are more muscles involved in standing than sitting. However, I am not convinced that it is 80 either. I have decided to estimate it at half the Men’s Health value. So, I estimate that you will burn an extra 30 calories an hour standing versus sitting.
One Pound Closer
You must create a total calorie deficit of 500 calories a day through nutrition and activity to lose one pound in a week. If you stand at work for just 3 hours more than you usually do, you will burn an extra 90 calories a day. That is fabulous and very passive.
Get a stand-up desk and it will help you get One Pound Closer to your goal. According to the Men’s Health editors, it will also improve your posture.
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