The average person weighing 180 pounds burns 100-515 calories per hour standing, the total calories burned depends on the your weight and the intensity of your activity while standing.
Calories burned with Daily Activities (weight: 175 lbs)
| MET | 15 mins. | 30 mins. | 45 mins. | 60 mins. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mowing the Lawn | 6 | 125 | 250 | 375 | 500 |
| Stairs | 8.8 | 183 | 367 | 550 | 733 |
| Standing | 2.5 | 52 | 104 | 156 | 208 |
| Gardening | 5 | 104 | 208 | 313 | 417 |
| Sleeping | 1.3 | 27 | 54 | 81 | 108 |
| Sitting | 1.3 | 27 | 54 | 81 | 108 |
| Raking | 4 | 83 | 167 | 250 | 333 |
| Resting | 1.3 | 27 | 54 | 81 | 108 |
| Walking a Dog | 3 | 63 | 125 | 188 | 250 |
Standing is something you do every day. Whether you’re filling up your gas tank, waiting in line at the grocery store, or standing at the bar waiting for a drink, you’d be surprised that you can actually burn calories while doing various standing activities.
While it is generally recommended to stay active in order to burn calories and experience the health benefits that being active creates, you’d be surprised that standing for long periods of time can actually provide some health benefits that you should consider.
The reason is that standing will burn more calories than your body does at rest. So if you work at a desk for your day job, it would be a great idea to get a standing desk to work at instead of sitting at the desk all day.
Since standing burns more calories than sitting, this means that you can actually lose weight just by standing more frequently! Standing will also allow you to bypass some health risks that come with sitting for long periods of time.
The best way to implement more standing is by replacing common situations when you would be sitting with standing. As we mentioned, getting a standing desk is one of the best ways to stand more often, but some other scenarios where you can stand instead of sit would be when eating your lunch or dinner or watching TV at home.
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Are you curious how many calories you can actually burn while standing? Use our calculator below to find out all the standing activities there are and how many calories you can expect to burn.
How To Use The Calculator
Using the calculator to determine how many calories you’ll burn while standing is very easy and only requires a few steps. To calculate the number of calories that you’ll burn, just input your weight and the time that you’re standing for. Then select the standing activity that you’re doing and hit CALCULATE.
- Choose your unit of measurement (pounds or kilograms)
- Enter your weight in the corresponding unit of measurement
- Find the standing activity that you are doing. You have many options such as standing in line, drawing while standing, standing in a casino, and even singing in church
- Enter the time (total minutes) that you’re doing the standing activity for
- Hit “CALCULATE”
How the Calculator Works
Our calculator uses MET values to give you an accurate estimate of how many calories you can expect to burn while standing and doing other activities that involve standing. The higher the MET value, the more calories you will burn while doing the activity.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)
MET stands for the metabolic equivalent of task and MET values allow us to give you an estimated expenditure of energy for many different activities, such as various types of standing.
A MET value is a ratio between the working metabolic rate and the resting metabolic rate [1], which is the rate of energy that is used relative to the duration of time spent doing activities that involve standing.
So a MET value of 1 is the equivalent of the amount of energy you expend while at rest, and a MET value of 3 means you are expending 3 times as much energy compared to being at rest.
Almost all activities that you can think of have MET values assigned to them. Some activities with MET values are common, and some are not so common. For example, there are MET values assigned to activities like skydiving, painting, and even playing video games.
Most activities come with varying levels of effort required and have different MET values assigned to them. For instance, standing in a casino while gambling has a MET value of 2.5 while standing while reading has a MET value is 1.8.
Formula
The formula that our calculator uses to determine the number of calories burned per minute is (MET x bodyweight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200.
Examples
A person weighing 175 pounds will burn approximately 150 calories per hour from standing while reading. As we mentioned, this activity has a MET of 1.8 which means that it burns 1.8 times as many calories as you would at rest.
This is what the formula for calculating the calories burned reading while standing will look like for a 175-pound individual at a MET value of 1.8.
- Calories burned (per minute) = (body weight in kg x MET x 5) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = ( 79.4 x 8 x 3.5 ) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = 5 calories x 60
- Calories burned (per hour) = 150 calories per hour
There are also many other standing activities that have MET values assigned to them. Another popular type of standing is done while in a casino. There are plenty of games that people will play at a casino that requires standing, such as craps and some slot machines.
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This is what the formula for calculating the calories burned standing in a casino will look like for the same 175-pound individual at a MET value of 2.5.
- Calories burned (per minute) = (body weight in kg x MET x 5) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = ( 79.4 x 5 x 3.5 ) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = 5 calories x 60
- Calories burned (per hour) = 210 calories per hour
Our last example of standing that is common is standing while playing with children. This could be at a playground supervising children or other common scenarios that involve being required to stand with children. This activity will have an estimated MET value of 2.8.
- Calories burned (per minute) = (body weight in kg x MET x 5) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = ( 79.4 x x 3.5 ) ÷ 200
- Calories burned (per minute) = 89 calories x 60
- Calories burned (per hour) = 233 calories per hour
How many calories are burned while standing for one hour? (weighing 180 pounds)
| # | Activity Name | Met | Time Spend | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bathing dog | 3.5 | 60 Min | 300 Cal |
| 2 | Casino gambling, standing | 2.5 | 60 Min | 214 Cal |
| 3 | Copying documents, standing | 1.5 | 60 Min | 129 Cal |
| 4 | Drawing, writing, painting, standing | 1.8 | 60 Min | 154 Cal |
| 5 | Holding child | 2 | 60 Min | 172 Cal |
| 6 | Light work (filing, talking, assembling) | 2.3 | 60 Min | 197 Cal |
| 7 | Moderate effort (e.g., lifting heavy objects, assembling at fast rate) | 3.5 | 60 Min | 300 Cal |
| 8 | Moderate-to-heavy effort, manual labor, lifting ≥ 50 lbs, heavy maintenance | 5 | 60 Min | 429 Cal |
| 9 | Playing with child(ren) light effort, only active periods | 2.8 | 60 Min | 240 Cal |
| 10 | Singing in church, attending a ceremony, standing, active participation | 2 | 60 Min | 172 Cal |
| 11 | Standing quietly in church, attending a ceremony | 1.3 | 60 Min | 111 Cal |
| 12 | Standing quietly, standing in a line | 1.3 | 60 Min | 111 Cal |
| 13 | Standing, child care, only active periods | 3 | 60 Min | 257 Cal |
| 14 | Standing, fidgeting | 1.8 | 60 Min | 154 Cal |
| 15 | Standing, miscellaneous | 2.5 | 60 Min | 214 Cal |
| 16 | Standing, reading | 1.8 | 60 Min | 154 Cal |
| 17 | Talking in person, on the phone, computer, or text messaging, light effort | 1.8 | 60 Min | 154 Cal |
What is Standing?
Standing is one of the most common things that humans do each day. You may not even realize how often you are standing during the day, and now that you know standing can help you burn calories, you might want to do it more often!
As we mentioned, there are many different standing activities that have MET values assigned to them that allow you to calculate the number of calories you’ll burn.
If you combine standing in common situations when you would sit with other activities in your daily life like taking the stairs or getting more steps in, you will be able to see even more benefits such as weight loss and reducing body fat.
Whenever you burn calories, you are then able to put your body into a fat-burning mode which can reduce your weight and body fat percentage.
What Muscles Does Standing Work?
While standing will never compare to the number of calories and effort it takes to run or lift weights, standing does actually work several muscle groups. In fact, if you typically sit while working at a desk and switch to standing all day, you will likely experience some muscle soreness.
Standing will primarily use the muscles in your lower body, namely the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. You may also feel some soreness in your lower back if you try to stand for long periods of time after sitting for most of your day. Standing does also indirectly work your core muscles in order to keep your balance.
Benefits of Standing
The easiest way to find the benefits that come with standing is to get a standing desk while you work if your job typically doesn’t require you to be on your feet. Many corporate jobs tend to have their employees sit at a desk to perform their work, so if you are a corporate worker, you could find the benefits in standing more often while at work.
Some of the benefits that you’ll get if you decide to stand more often include:
- Burning calories
- Keeping blood circulation going
- Improves your posture
- Keeps your energy levels high
- Likely being more productive
You may be shocked to find out all the benefits that there are to standing. As we said, many corporate workers can find the most benefits to replacing sitting at their desk all day with standing more. However, there are also many other situations where standing will be the better option.
Equipment
Unsurprisingly, there is no specialized equipment that you need in order to simply stand. However, if you are a corporate worker, you may want to invest in a standing desk in order to make it easier for you to stand while doing your job. These desks can be costly but would be a good investment for anyone who sits for long periods of time while working.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does standing burn calories?
Yes, average person burns 100-515 calories per hour standing.
How long should you stand at a standing desk?
If you aren’t used to standing for long periods of time, it is recommended to gradually replace your sitting activities with standing more frequently. We suggest starting to stand for 30 to 60 minutes at a time to see how your body reacts. It is possible you could feel some discomfort in your lower body after starting to stand more often.
How can I start standing more?
As we mentioned above, most people can start standing more if you sit at your desk during your day job. However, other times that you can stand more frequently could be when you are eating your meals or watching TV at home.
Is there anything I can do to stand for long periods of time?
In order to stand for long periods of time, you need to ease your way into it. Also, it can help to get shoes that have plenty of support to make it so there isn’t as much discomfort in your feet and lower body while standing for long periods of time.
Is it healthy to stand all day?
If you can stand all day without experiencing any negative effects like stress on your joints or back, standing all day can be a great way to burn some extra calories. If you start to feel some discomfort from standing so much, you should take breaks before you start standing again.
The Bottom Line
You may have been surprised to find out that standing has many health benefits and can help you burn calories in common scenarios when you would be sitting. The best way that many people can incorporate standing into their daily life is by standing while doing work if you are usually sitting at a desk for most of the day.
It may also be a very good idea to invest in a standing desk to make it easier to practice standing while doing work.
If you tend to watch TV or movies at night or on the weekends, you can also practice standing to try and burn some extra calories while doing these sedentary activities. No matter how you do it, standing more frequently will provide many different benefits!
Use our calculator to get an idea of how many calories you can expect to burn while standing, and be sure to check out all the other calculators that we have to offer at Fitness Volt!
References:
- Jetté, M., Sidney, K., & Blümchen, G. (1990). Metabolic equivalents (METS) in exercise testing, exercise prescription, and evaluation of functional capacity. Clinical cardiology, 13(8), 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.4960130809
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