The 9-5 rigmarole we shudder to think of, is a grind we are most used to. From morning till late evening, most of our time at work goes with sitting, and that isn’t a good thing say experts.

Did you know, there is a vast amount of difference with regard to calories burnt while standing as compared to sitting!

Don’t drop that jaw when you read the above statement, for every bit of that line is true. It is but ergonomically proven and for sure, standing has shown plenty of health benefits to reap- loss of unwanted calories for sure. With sitting being firmly established as a health hazard when overdone, there are studies that show how various diseases take over physically and mentally, when we sit for too long and too much. Replacing an hour of sitting with that of standing would certainly be a good idea and a faster way to burn those calories too.

No one is asking you to stand in front of your laptop all day long as work, it isn’t possible and is certainly not pain-free as well. But over time it would when you decide to stand more and sit less, see the results on how many extra calories you burned over time.

Sources from the esteemed JustStand.Org have calculators that tell you how many calories one can loose per hour. For example, an empirical data shows 100 calories burnt while sitting for an hour, whereas in the same time frame while standing, you could lose 130 calories. Decide now for yourself, which would be best for you? Standing or sitting! And to do your own calculations on the same, check with JustStand.org.

The Right Way to Stand and Work

If you are done with the calculations and have made a decision to stand and work, here are a few ways to do that right-

1.    Even while you are at work, ensure to take a standing break every twenty minutes. This allows your body to contract and expand its muscles, which also helps in allowing the blood flow happen as well.

In the words of NYTimes Reporter, Gretchen Reynolds, it is clear that standing versus sitting;the former has more benefits “New science shows very persuasively that standing up about every 20 minutes, even for only a minute or two, reduces your risks of developing diabetes and heart disease.” Says Gretchen, after her research on how the body responds physiologically.

2.    Sitting as compared to standing, leads the body into many forms of sedentary side-effects. Read more from Gretchen’s take away on her research right

3.    The Cornell Ergonomics lab studies show how we should stand and work, which means the right posture and stance while standing at work!

For example:

●     The computer monitor shouldn’t be far (not more than 20-28 inches) from your eyes.

●     The computer screen tilt shouldn’t be lesser than 20 degrees or more than that.

●     The height of the table should be by the elbow or a little below.

●     90-degree angle to the keyboard is a must for elbow placement.

Sitting is okay to an extent, but not always recommended since the sedentary work ways can bring in a host of health issues.