You may want to read this while standing. A new study has found that standing instead of sitting for six hours a day can prevent weight gain and help people actually lose weight.
Prolonged sitting has been linked to the obesity epidemic, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Europeans sit for up to seven hours a day, and even physically active people can spend most of the day in a chair. The study examined whether standing burns more calories than sitting. The researchers analyzed the results of a total of 46 studies involving a total of 1,184 participants. Participants were on average 33 years old, 60% were male and the average body mass index and weight were 24 kg/m2 and 65 kg respectively.
The researchers discovered that standing burns 0.15 kcal more per minute than sitting. By replacing standing with sitting for six hours a day - a 65 kg person - can burn an extra 54 kcal per day. Assuming no increase in food intake, that would equate to 2.5kg in one year and 10kg in four years.
The researcher, said:"Not only does standing burn more calories, the extra muscle activity is linked to a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, so the benefits of standing could go beyond weight management."
