We wanted to see what would happen if we took a group of people who normally spend their day sitting in an office and ask them to spend a few hours a day on their feet instead. Standing while you are working may seem rather odd, but it is a practice with a long tradition. Winston Churchill wrote while working at a special standing desk, as did Ernest Hemingway and Benjamin Franklin. So with Dr John Buckley and a team of researchers from the University of Chester we conducted a simple experiment.
We asked 10 people who work at an estate agents to stand for at least three hours a day for a week. Our lucky volunteers had mixed feelings about how they would get on. We asked all the volunteers to wear an accelerometer - a movement monitor - to record just how much moving about they were doing. They also wore heart rate monitors and had glucose monitors that measured their blood sugar levels constantly, day and night. The evidence that standing up is good for you goes back to at least the s when a study was done comparing bus conductors who stand with bus drivers who don't.
This study, published in the Lancet, showed that the bus conductors had around half the risk of developing heart disease of the bus drivers. Since then prolonged sitting has not only been linked to problems with blood glucose control, but also a sharp reduction in the activity of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down blood fats and makes them available as a fuel to the muscles.
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. 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.
Researchers in one 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. You should exercise caution when standing for long periods of time. 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.
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:. If you experience aches and pains while standing, talk to a doctor or other healthcare professional about your symptoms. If you can, look for other places to add in standing time.
Exercise is a great way to feel good, get outdoors, meet new people, and just enjoy the world you live in. Make a conscious effort to stay physically active, and this will ultimately manifest itself into better nutritional practices and feeling and looking better. The fine details may be important to some professional athletes, but just making small adjustments and committing to being more physically active will ultimately lead you to a healthier lifestyle and body composition.
Professor Ormsbee explains. You can increase exercise per your fitness plan goals by making small adjustments like taking the stairs at work and walking more often. Making Simple Habits Overall, simple habitual changes make an impact. Keep It Simple Just like a well-functioning car needs routine care of its components and parts—the body needs a combination of proper fueling and exercise to optimize its potential. About Kate Findley Articles.
Kate is a writer, novelist, and blogger living in Los Angeles. Be in a hurry. Walking fast burns more calories than a slow stroll. Make a game out of seeing how quickly you can get to your destination.
Take the stairs. If you have to get to the 11th floor, walk up as many flights as you can, then take the elevator the rest of the way. Stair climbing is one of the easiest activities you can do to burn calories without going to a gym. Plan active parties. If you have guests over for a BBQ or dinner party, start the evening with a game of volleyball, badminton, or an active video game.
Make social events active by meeting to go bowling, throw darts, or play pool. Wear a tracking device. Wearable activity monitors can tell you how active you have been on a given day. You might set a daily goal for yourself, or get a friend to join you in a friendly competition.
Seeing how adding extra activities add to your daily results can inspire you to do even more. Add music. Listening to music while you walk can make the activity more fun and take your mind off what you are doing.
Pick an upbeat tune, and you may find you up the intensity without realizing it. Watch less TV. Television remains one of the biggest draws for sitting marathons. If you are hooked on a certain show, tune in and then hit the off button as soon as your show ends. You could also try standing up while you watch or doing pushups, crunches, or squats every time a commercial comes on.
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