Does standing really burn calories?

One of the foundations of a healthy lifestyle is your daily calorie burn, but are Aussies staying on their feet enough?

Sadly, the numbers paint a bleak picture. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 37% of adults aged 18-64 said they were insufficiently physically active [1]. It also doesn’t help that most of our workdays are spent sitting on our bums.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that nearly half of employed adults would describe their workdays as mainly sitting [2].

So, does the answer lie in getting up off our seats and standing more? Let’s go into the standing versus sitting argument and whether it makes a difference to our waistlines.

How does your body burn calories?

How and why do calories burn? Technically, burning calories means there’s a chemical reaction going on in your body.

It’s the reaction that allows your body to use the energy stored in your calories. It could be from an incoming feed or what’s already stored in your fat cells.

If you don’t eat enough calories, such as while on a diet, your body will start burning the calories stored in your body fat. This is how you lose weight over time because your body still needs energy, whether you’re overweight or not.

Believe it or not, most of the calories your body burns daily come from just keeping you alive rather than whether you’re working out down the gym. How much you burn depends on your resting metabolic rate.

A resting metabolic rate depends entirely on the individual and incorporates factors like:

• Height
• Weight
• Age
• Gender

You can roughly figure out your resting metabolic rate at home by multiplying your body weight by 10. So, if you’re around 100 kilos, your resting metabolic rate would be 1000 calories daily, assuming you did nothing but lay in bed all day.

If you’re looking for a more accurate figure for calories burned while resting, here’s the equation given by the National Institutes of Health, specifically for men [3]:

Resting metabolic rate = (9.99 x actual weight) + (6.25 x height) – (4.92 x age) + 5

After calculating your resting metabolic rate, you can start to add on the calories you burn from other activities, such as manual labour and exercise, to determine your daily energy expenditure.

Sadly, the Australian Sports Commission found that 70% of Aussies are either sedentary or engage in low levels of physical activity, which is why most of them eat more than they’re burning [4].

But don’t let that discourage you because every little helps in managing our bellies.

Does standing burn calories?

Standing burns calories because everything burns calories. Even if you remain perfectly motionless in bed for an entire day, you will burn calories according to your resting metabolic rate.

However, outfitting the office with standing desks isn’t going to change your waistline drastically because any gains made can be wiped out by what you eat. As the old saying goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”

What you eat will influence whether standing has a tangible impact because of the calories found in each macronutrient.

According to a study, carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, whereas fat contains 9 calories per gram, so if Hungry Jack’s is your go-to, standing won’t have the impact you may think it will [5].

Standing vs. sitting: Which one burns more calories?

Standing burns more calories than sitting – but only marginally.

According to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, standing can be beneficial but not a substitute for physical exercise [6]. Their findings are displayed thus:

• Sitting – 80 calories per hour on average.
• Standing – 88 calories per hour on average.
• Walking (treadmill desk) – 210 calories per hour on average.

Of course, how many calories you burn standing will depend on various factors, including your gender and body composition. If we look at these averages, you’ll burn about an extra 24 calories over 3 hours, equivalent to a carrot.

Potential risks of standing to burn calories

Standing instead of sitting all day provides marginal gains in terms of fewer calories, but it won’t transform your health.

On the contrary, some people might even find that being on their feet all day causes them problems.

For example, if you’re one of those people who bought a standing desk and uses it all day, you might develop back, leg, or foot pain. There’s also the potential that some people with circulatory issues may find it unbearable to stand consistently for long periods.

Although prolonged standing might help, there’s no reason to give up on chairs entirely. Instead, there’s a better way to burn more calories.

Ways to burn more calories every day

Burning more calories every day begins with changing your habits. You can’t be a bludger watching TV all day and expect your body to respond by shedding pounds short of starving yourself.

Here’s how you can burn extra calories every day.

1. Lift weights

Lifting weights is one of the best ways to increase your calorie burn because your resting metabolic rate increases with muscle mass.

Maintaining a muscular exterior and strong muscle tone means your body has to work harder, meaning it’ll burn more calories to do it.

That doesn’t mean you have to become a bodybuilder. Some simple weight training at the gym in the morning will get you well on your way to losing weight.

2. Drink more water 

Coke addicts are taking in immense numbers of calories from high-sugar beverages daily. Switching to water makes a tremendous difference but can also help you spike your metabolic rate.

According to one study, drinking 500 ml of water daily increases metabolic rate by 30%, regardless of gender. Additionally, drinking 1.5 litres of water daily would enhance your calorie burn by 200 [9].

3. Get a caffeine hit

Give yourself a caffeine hit every day for more calorie burning. Avoid the sugary drinks from Starbucks and opt for a simple black coffee.

Not only will you still get an energy boost, but you’ll also increase the rate at which you burn calories while giving up the high-calorie drinks you might be accustomed to.

And science really backs it up. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, taking up a 4-cup of coffee a day habit was associated with an average decrease in body fat of 4% [10].

4. Get more sleep

Are you getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night? Lack of quality sleep inhibits fat loss and slows the metabolism. Additionally, sleep deprivation impacts your overall health, including how well your body can use insulin.

It’s also a fact that a lack of sleep produces more cortisol in the brain, resulting in those “feed me” cravings.

In short, take control of your sleep schedule and keep it consistent. 

5. Up your protein intake

Protein builds muscles and increases your recovery rate after exercise. However, it can also stop you from overeating by keeping you full longer.

Research has shown that people with high-protein diets feel full for longer, eat less, and experience below-average weights [11]. So, if you’re constantly feeling hungry, consume more protein.

Pilot's Weight Reset Shakes can help here, with fibre and high-quality whey protein containing all 9 essential amino acids to limit the loss of muscle mass.

Even better, they're packed with 20 essential vitamins and minerals and each shake contains more than 40% of your daily vitamin needs.

6. Get your daily cardio in

It’s a proven fact that cardio is critical to burning calories. Whether you like running, cycling, swimming, or jumping rope, you’ll burn more calories because your body has to work harder to keep up with your energy needs.

Let’s use someone weighing around 85 kg and how much they could burn in different cardio activities over a half-hour period, per Harvard Medical School [12]:

• Running (10-minute/mile) – 420 calories
• Cycling (12-13.9/mph) – 336 calories
• Swimming – 252 calories

How many calories you burn depends on your body weight and how vigorous the activity is over a single 30-minute period. Regardless of the exact number, daily cardio gives you a colossal calorie cushion, enabling a greater rate of weight loss.

However, it’s critical to always speak to your doctor before adopting a new exercise regime, especially if you’ve already got a medical condition. 

If you've tried everything to increase your caloric burn and kickstart your weight loss journey, but nothing seems to work, Pilot is here to help.

Our weight loss program combines science-backed solutions with support from our medical team and health coaches, while also connecting you with a supportive community of like-minded men to help keep you motivated and accountable to your weight loss goals.

With medical professionals at your fingertips, the program can help you rewire your relationship with food so you can achieve sustainable weight loss.

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