This seems to be the newest thing I am hearing a lot about is standing rather than sitting while working or watching tv, or just during the commercials.

A client told me that they did a study and if you can arrange your office so that you are standing for X amount of hours a day (can't remember the exact hours) it equals calories burned as if you ran 6 marathons a year. Now this could be complete BS but it seems possible.

I'm a hairdresser so I stand all day anyway but I did previously work a desk job in 2003 and put on 30+ pounds. Wish I knew standing burned calories back then. Quizno's didn't help either. I never ate there since.

Just wondering people's thoughts on standing at work. Will it really make that much of a difference you think? I think every little bit helps.

To be more clear: I don't think standing will result in weight loss but aid with maintaining.

I'm just thinking out loud here. I know a lot of people that struggle with weight have desk jobs.

I have worked in restaurants for 20 years. Started as a server, then progressed to management. I've never had a sit down job.

I've been offered them, at more money, and I never took them because I was scared to death I would balloon up in weight. The sheer thought of it frightens me, I don't understand how ppl can stand to be that still, yet stressed.

I know that when I'm off for a couple weeks a time, I always gain a little weight. Now, I realize that my food probably changes due to relaxing and such, but I've always associated it with my lack of activity.

On the flip side, I do think I tend to be more seditary on my days off than a lot of people are. I feel like I've walked and moved all week and I just want to relax. So, maybe I'm adjusting and losing activity b/c of my active job?

My future MIL and I are amazingly similar types of ppl (like everyone comments on it), difference is I work in restaurants and she worked an office job for 40 years. She retired a couple of months ago.

One main difference I have noticed in us, is that my house is just 'a house', her's has all kinds of work put into it, AND she has an amazing landscaped yard and garden that she works in every single day.

When I asked her about it, she said "well, I had a seditary job, so I felt like I needed a way to expend energy everyday. I couldn't stand having nothing to do"

Sooo, maybe that's the balance? For those that don't have that, they tend to find other outlets for their energy.

Are you still as active on your days off now? Is it more of a mental push to make yourself get out and do things?

I am constantly on the go and on my feet at my job. If I'm not standing at the register helping customers, I'm putting clothes away, rearranging my department, or running around the store getting rolling racks or signs or whatever else I need at the time. I think if you have an active job it really helps; I know I spent half of my weight loss journey not doing any extra exercise and I still continued to lose just from eating at a deficit. And now, I keep my maintenance calories a little lower so that when I do splurge it doesn't affect me so much, and I think my active job really helps in that. I'm really exhausted when I get home, so I know I'm exerting some sort of energy!

I don't think it's complete BS; maybe you don't burn as much as if you'd ran 6 marathons in a year, but you're burning a lot more than the guy that's sitting at his desk all day just to go home and lounge in a recliner for the rest of the evening.

When you just stand still I think your heart rate is the same as if you were sitting, so I’m not sure if just standing would burn more calories. I’ve never had an active job, but I use a balance ball as my chair at work and home. I bounce around on it a lot (hehe) – this might help me maintain/lose – maybe…

I would think someone with a very active job like a hairdresser, waiter, construction, teacher - would be burning mega calories every day. Though, this might not be the case, since I’ve seen (know) plenty of overweight people in every one of those professions.

My bf got a job as a bartender and packed on 10 pounds within two months. He was constantly snacking on the restaurants food, plus taking some home! I guess standing 8-10 hours a day wasn't enough to burn off what he was eating; and he's a big guy!

There is a website called "juststand.org" that has several calculators that show you how much of a difference it makes. Standing burns 50% more calories. Personally I think that makes a lot of sense. Your body just has to necessarily do more when you are standing. You should google NEAT, non exercise activity thermogenesis. It is a very real science that postulates that just doing small things during the day can double your calories burned.

I'm sure standing helps, but it wouldn't be workable for me. I have fairly low blood pressure and can't concentrate well while standing. Whenever I'm required to stand (e.g., waiting for the bus), I invariably pace.

F.

Well freelancemomma, it seems like standing around would actually be more beneficial to you since you pace instead!

Standing engages more muscles than sitting. I'm sure it makes a big difference. Plus, like freelance says, it's hard to stand perfectly still. It motivates you to move more.

I've heard a lot recently about getting up every so many minutes if you have a sit down job, I got rid of the trash can in my cube so that I have to walk down the hall to throw something away, at first I thought why did you do this, but it's great to get up and take a little stroll and I don't have that dang can in there with me.

I also read an article about adding stairs whenever you can so I try and do that as well, like mentioned above every little bit helps.

Whenever I'm in online training I try and stand as much as I can, I can't stand to sit for that long anymore.

There are others here a lot more familiar with the customs, but I have heard that some Asian countries have like 5 min stretching breaks once an hour, esp for factory work.

Supposedly, there is a little bell/whistle and the workers take a moment and yawn/stretch/standup whatever. In the little report I read it said it increased productivity and cut back drastically on work related accidents.

Now, whether that was an individual manufacturer testing something, or a culture wide habit, I do not know.

*standing up to type this post*

Reading this did encourage me to at least get up more often when I'm at the computer! I'd love to have my computer in front of the treadmill and be able to walk (even slowly) while on forums and blogging.

Standing up engages your core, your body has to work harder to support your whole body and keep it balanced. It's a no brainer though I don't know about the accuracy of comparing it to 6 marathons. If that were true then all hairdressers would be athletes lol.

You're in luck, they now make treadmill desks. http://trekdesk.com/

I think I pace because it keeps my blood flowing. When I stand my blood pressure drops and I can't concentrate well. I'm always amazed when I see people reading a book while standing.

F.