Calories Burned Standing Vs. Sitting: Chart, Benefits, Risks, Tips

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Nutrition

Do You Really Burn More Calories While Standing?

Medically reviewed by Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RD, CPT — Written by Natalie Silver — Updated on December 18, 2023

Comparison chart
How to calculate
Why it happens
Height and weight
Other benefits
How much is too much?
How to stand more
Products to try
Takeaway

There is a small but significant difference between the calories you burn while sitting vs. standing still, but they add up.

While standing more than sitting in themselves may not help you lose a significant amount of weight, it can certainly help you maintain your current weight and reduce certain health risks. Read on to learn more.

What’s the difference in calories?

Woman resting after exercise — MStudioImages/Getty Images

When you stand, you burn anywhere from 70 to 95 calories an hour. It all depends on your sex, age, height, and weight.

Sitting, by comparison, only burns 65 to 85 calories an hour. The difference may not seem large, but it adds up over time. You could burn anywhere from 15 to 30 more calories just by swapping 3 hours of sitting for standing.

Note that males generally burn more calories because they typically have greater muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the faster you generally burn calories.

How to calculate how many calories you burn a day

The Harris Benedict Equation determines how many calories are burned. This equation takes your height, weight, age, and activity level into account.

The Compendium of Physical Activities assigns a number representing the metabolic equivalent (MET) for activities you perform, which aids in calculating how many calories you burn in a day.

For example, sitting all day would be assigned a 1.5 MET. Walking or working with a treadmill desk is assigned a 2.3 MET.

To determine how many calories you burn a day with the Harris Benedict Equation, you multiply your height, weight, and age by a MET. You can assign a 1.2 for sitting or 2 for standing to determine total calories burned daily.

You can calculate your own daily caloric usage by visiting manytools.org.

Why do you burn more calories standing?

Your body burns more calories when you’re moving. Sitting or lying down burns the fewest number of calories.

When you’re on your feet, you activate your muscle mass. This muscle mass helps you burn more calories.

Plus, when you stand, you’re moving your body more. All of those foot taps and stretches can add up over time.

Do your height and weight affect how many calories you burn?

It probably goes without saying that physical exercise burns calories. Your body also burns calories by performing basic functions like breathing and eating.

Your metabolism and the number of calories your body needs for essential functions can change based on your muscle mass, weight, height, and age. The bigger you are, the more calories your body burns per day for these essential functions.

Your age can also factor in to how many calories you burn. Most people lose muscle as they age. The less muscle mass you have, the fewer calories you burn.

Other benefits of standing instead of sitting

In addition to burning calories, standing can reduce your risk of:

diabetes
heart attack
stroke
cancer

It can also minimize lordosis, which is the inward curvature of the spine. Although some degree of curvature is normal, significant curvature can put unnecessary pressure on your spine.

Standing can even build muscle tone. Not only do certain muscles actively engage when moving from seating to standing, they must stay engaged to keep you upright.

Is it possible to stand too much?

As with any body posture, standing for too long can actually do more harm than good.

Researchers in one 2017 study observed 20 adult participants as they completed 2 hours of lab-based standing computer work.

They found that by the 2-hour mark, the participants experienced a weakened mental state, increased swelling in the lower limbs, and overall body discomfort.

It’s worth noting that the participants’ creative problem-solving ability improved while standing.

You should exercise caution when standing for long periods of time. It’s important to listen to your body and what it needs.

How to add more standing time to your routine

You may find it helpful to start by adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes of standing time to your day and gradually working your way up from there.

How you add these minutes is up to you. A general rule of thumb is to stand for at least 1 minute after every 30 minutes of sitting. After a minute has passed, you may choose to stand longer or resume sitting until another 30 minutes are up.

At work

Here are a few ways you can stand more at work:

Try a standing desk versus a sitting desk.
Stand up when you take a phone call.
Consider having a “stand-up” style meeting instead of sitting.
Set a timer to stand for a certain number of minutes every hour.

At home

Standing more at home may require some changes to your routine. Start with these:

Talk a walk around the house every half hour or hour.
Stand when making a phone call, texting, or using the Internet on your smartphone.
Take a nightly walk before engaging in more sedentary leisure time.
Watch your favorite television show while standing.

Products that can help

If you have a desk job, talk to your manager or human resources department about swapping your current setup for something more active.

Sit-stand desks, for example, can help reduce your time spent seated. Treadmill desks and cycling desks can also encourage movement while you work.

Proper positioning is the most important part of standing. If you try a standing workstation, make sure that:

Your eyes are level with the top of your monitor.
Your upper arms are able to rest close to your body.
Your hands are able to rest at elbow level or below.

If you experience aches and pains while standing, talk to a doctor or other healthcare professional about your symptoms.

They may recommend one or more of the following aids:

Sole inserts. You can add inserts to your shoes to help support your arches. The added cushion can also help minimize fatigue and soreness.
Supportive shoes. Investing in shoes already equipped with adequate arch support can also help with overall alignment and balance.
Standing pads or cushions. You can place these under your feet to reduce pressure on your knees, feet, and back.

The bottom line

It’s OK if you need to sit for school or work. If you can, look for other places to add in standing time. For example, you may be able to stand on the bus or train during your commute.

Use your best judgment when deciding how long and how often to stand. If you’re unsure of how long to stand, or you experience discomfort, speak with a doctor or other healthcare provider. They can help you set a goal tailored to your individual needs.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Amaro-Gahete FJ, et al. (2019). Energy expenditure differences across lying, sitting, and standing positions in young healthy adults.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6561541/
Baker R, et al. (2018). A detailed description of the short-term musculoskeletal and cognitive effects of prolonged standing for office computer work.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00140139.2017.1420825
Compendium of Physical Activities: 11-Occupation. (2011).https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/occupation
Owen N, et al. (2009). Too much sitting: A novel and important predictor of chronic disease risk?https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/2/81
Saeidifard F, et al. (2020). Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/25/5/522/5926154
Shrestha N, et al. (2018). Workplace interventions for reducing sitting time at work.https://www.cochrane.org/CD010912/OCCHEALTH_workplace-interventions-methods-reducing-time-spent-sitting-work
Stand more, burn (slightly) more calories. (2018).https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stand-more-burn-slightly-more-calories

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Medically reviewed by Marie Lorraine Johnson MS, RD, CPT — Written by Natalie Silver — Updated on December 18, 2023

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