Burn 100 extra calories at your desk
The seven dwarfs told us to “whistle while you work,” but if someone wants to burn a few extra calories at the office, standing might help.
A person can burn roughly 100 extra calories by having a sit/stand desk – a convertible desk that allows a user to stand when they want and continue working, according to a new study from the University of Iowa. The desk can also change back to a regular workstation when someone prefers to sit.
Researchers found that even after the novelty of the new workspace wore off, workers continued to use the standing option.
“Many jobs require people to sit for long periods of time,” says Dr. Mona Waheed, family medicine physician at Advocate Dreyer Medical Clinic in Aurora, Ill. “This puts people at risk for quite a few health problems. Any option that is available to get them up and moving can be beneficial from a health standpoint.”
Standing alone will not improve a worker’s health.
“It would still be best for the worker to try and schedule time to walk around the office, if possible,” says Dr. Waheed. “We know it is hard to get away, but even five minutes of movement every hour can be beneficial to your well-being.”
Researchers did acknowledge that while certain sedentary diseases could be battled with this new office accessory, more work needs to be done to find the effects of prolonged standing while working.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
