Stand Up, Sit Down – Mix It Up for Good Health

It’s a new week – and the Losin’ It At Work Challenge is in full swing.
How did you do this weekend? Are you ready to focus on some new healthy habits this week?

I ran across an article this weekend that I wanted to share with you, from RealSimple.com:
You’ve probably all heard that sitting too long is harmful to your health. But a small recent study from the University of Glasgow in the U.K. suggests that you’ll get a bigger health boost if you focus not only on the number of hours you spend standing, but on the number of times you stand up, as well.
Men in the study burned more calories and fat when they stood up more frequently throughout an eight-hour period (for 90 seconds at a time), than when they stood for longer blocks (15 minutes at a time)—even though the total time they spent standing was the same.
Each sit-to-stand (and stand-to-sit) transition requires muscle activation and energy expenditure. It’s also been shown that fidgeting and toe-tapping burn extra calories.
The men burned about 76 calories more throughout the day when they stood in 15-minute blocks, compared to sitting only. But their bodies burned an ADDITIONAL 71 calories, on average when they upped the frequency of ups and downs.
Over four weeks, the authors calculated, those scenarios could translate to a weight loss of 2.7 pounds and 4.9 pounds, respectively.
Exercise physiologist Tom Holland says that rising from a seated position and lowering your body weight back down repeatedly takes more effort and expends more energy than does continuously standing stationary.
It may be tough—not to mention detrimental to your productivity—to change your position every minute and a half throughout the day. But try switching it up as frequently as you realistically can. Holland says to think of it as interval training, in effect adding squats to your standing routine.
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Have a great week – and keep up the good work!

– Wendy Corr, Certified Holistic Nutritionist