By By Dr. Larrell L. Wilkinson | PHAME-US Campaign
What’s up? Are you? Yes, we are starting the post with a little humor in hopes that you will STAND UP! A study from a group of scientists at the University of Pittsburgh showed that on average, a person burned 8 more calories standing versus sitting at work (Creasy, Rogers, Byard, Kowalsky, & Jakicic, 2016). This may not sound like a lot, but if standing half the time during an 8 hour workday, after one week a person will have burned (used) 160 calories, about the standard serving size of Oreo cookies or Lay’s Classic Potato Chips. Again, this may not sound like a lot, but every little bit helps, Right?
Calories are how we measure energy and describes the energy we get from eating food and drinking. Calories don’t measure weight or length. Instead, we burn (use) calories when we exercise, walk, and perform regular movements throughout the day. Another way to burn calories is to simply, STAND. Also, there are other benefits to standing more during the day! Experts from the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Chosewood & Franklin, 2012) found that using sit-stand workstations did the following:
- Standing more while at work decreases the amount of time spent in sedentary work
- Standing more helps relieve pressure on the lower back, buttocks and legs, and may help reduce compression of the spine arising from long periods of sitting
- Standing more may improve energy levels
- Standing more frequently may improve cognition
- Standing may increase circulation and lead to better blood flow to the brain and other organs
- Standing more burns more calories than sitting
- Standing more may assist with energy balance and aid in weight management
- Standing more may improve bone density over time
- Standing more may promote better sleep
So what about you? Are you standing more? Are you willing to TAKE A STAND and STAND UP? How will you stand more during the day? I can hear Ludacris’s song playing in my head…”When I Move, You Move.” So just LIKE THAT, let’s stand up and move together. Share your story about standing or the different ways you move here in the comments section and/or share with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
References
Chosewood, L.C. & Franklin, C.C. (2012, December 5). NIOSH takes a stand. NIOSH Science Blog. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2012/12/05/sit-stand/.
Creasy, S. A., Rogers, R. J., Byard, T. D., Kowalsky, R. J., & Jakicic, J. M. (2016). Energy Expenditure During Acute Periods of Sitting, Standing, and Walking. Journal of physical activity & health, 13(6), 573–578. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2015-0419
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