Standing For Six Hours A Day Instead Of Sitting Could Help You Lose Weight

Stand up now, couch potato. Did you know that replacing sitting with standing for about six hours a day could actually aid in weight loss?

A new study found that on average, if you stand for six hours a day, instead of sitting, it could help you lose around 5.5 pounds in a year! No sweat, right?

Sitting for long periods have been linked to various diseases and even obesity.

The researchers found that by substituting standing for sitting for six hours a day could help you burn an extra 54 calories. Without any changes in the diet or visits to the gym, the additional calories burned in a day would translate to 5.5 lbs in a year for the average American adult.

So, for an average person who weighs about 143.3 lbs or 65 kg, that would equate to 5.5 lbs or 2.5 kg in one year, and 22 lbs or 10 kg in four years.

The study, which was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, showed that standing can burn 0.15 calories (kcals) per minute more than sitting. That’s not rocket science, it’s just a simple calculation of thermogenesis reminding everyone that standing burns more calories than sitting.

Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a cardiologist and lead author of the study, said:

“Standing burns more calories than sitting.”

“That has some implications for long-term weight control, and it has some potential too to be used in weight-control strategies.”

This study is a simple reminder of the health benefits of being active, by even just standing up, instead of sitting.

An average American sits more than seven hours a day, and this is also true to the other countries worldwide.

Those who work in offices tend to sit throughout the day. Today, the use of standing desks has been suggested for office workers.

What are the benefits of using standing desks?

1. Lesser risk of obesity

Sitting for long hours each day may increase one’s risk of obesity. Standing while working, on the other hand, has been seen to reduce the risk of weight gain.

Standing is just the start, you can walk around the office or workplace a couple times per day can help, too. Moreover, living a physically active lifestyle can help beat obesity.

2. Better Longevity

Believe it or not, but sitting all day can slash years off your life. Sitting has been linked to obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In a study, Americans increase their lifespan by two years just by reducing the sitting time from six hours to just three hours each day.

3. Reduced cancer risk

Sitting down throughout the day, or the lack of physical activity has been linked to cases of breast cancer and colon cancer. The answer to why this happens is still unclear, but some scientists believe that sitting appears to increase the C-reactive protein, which is found in people who sit for long periods.

C-reactive protein or CRP is a sensitive marker of inflammation and an increase in its number is associated with chronic inflammation-related disorders such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, among others.

Now, with this new study and the other benefits of standing, you better get up now and engage in physical activity. You can stand up while working on the computer, get yourself a standing desk, or you can walk around the office every now and then.