Summer is just around the corner....have you been thinking about shedding that winter weight?
Want to improve the beach bod?
Want to lose a few pounds?
You can do it right in your office, while you work.
And all you need is an adjustable height standing desk. Whether you go with a simple desk extension, like this laptop stand, or with a full sized standing desk, you could be burning more calories at work.
How many more calories? Quite a bit more, actually. Studies show you can burn an extra 120 calories a day, and potentially more if you are more active and fidget more while standing, or if you stand longer than the typical 4 hours. That translates into approx. 9 pounds a year just from changing your habits at work.
The calorie burn and weight loss from using a sit-stand desk was researched by Dr. James Levine, a pioneer in the field, and was based on an average of 4 hours of intermittent standing.
Dr. Levine showed that nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is triggered by standing, and actually extends increased caloric burn in the body, even for the intermittent periods when you sit. In other words, stand for a while, and your body continues to burn more calories, even when you take a break and sit. Your body actually adapts and starts to burn more all the time.
How does using a standing desk compare with other physical activities, like running?
The problem with the sporadic exercise that so many people do, is that it is inconsistent. Your body speeds up, burns 'hotter' briefly, but then goes back to a slow burning state. In essence, your body knows it is a temporary activity and treats it as such. Many people want to know "how much exercise does standing replace?".
From a very simplistic calorie burning perspective, the actual standing that you do at your desk (assuming 3 or 4 hours five days a week), it equates to running about 10 marathons a year, based on research conducted by Dr. Buckley from the University of Chester.
However, this shows only part of the benefits of standing. Your body is triggered into storing fat on your body based on blood glucose levels. If you have high blood glucose levels (e.g. after a meal, especially after sugary foods) that your body doesn't get a chance to break-down and lower, you get fat. High blood glucose has been linked to many diseases, such as diabetes.
Here's the kicker though - if you are actively burning calories throughout the day (even with a moderate activity such as standing), your blood glucose levels will go back to normal levels MUCH FASTER.
This means your body converts less food into fat. This was also demonstrated by Dr. Buckley in another study. In short, using a standing desk teaches your body to run much more efficiently all the time, not just when you are exercising. It would be much better to use a standing desk during the day than to go for that evening jog.
Want to lose weight even faster?
Not that I'm dissuading people from jogging. I love to run, and think it's a great activity, it just can't replace standing throughout the day, and it can't repair the damage caused by sitting all day. Instead, if you REALLY want those pounds to melt off, DO BOTH.
Stand all day AND then do some quick exercises another time during the day (morning or evening). Not only will your caloric burn be increased, but your body's metabolism with skyrocket.
Having enough energy for an evening workout
Will you have enough left after a day of standing to workout or go for a jog? Surprisingly, almost everybody who tries a standing desk tells us YES! Once people transition to a standing desk (after a month or so) most people actually have noticeably MORE energy after using their standing desk.
They are actually MORE motivated to do something in the evening. If you still find it difficult to go for that evening workout, try working out in the morning instead. Your body (and your spouse / significant other / beach gazers) will thank you for it.
