Standing at work

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tlbays
tlbays Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I was wondering if I should count nonstop standing for 8 hours as exercise. Your thoughts?
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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    no
  • hhazzouri
    hhazzouri Posts: 103 Member
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    If its not factored in your activity level already why not
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    You're not burning many calories just standing around. Factor your work life into your activity level. Only count things like cardio exercise toward extra calories burned.
  • hhazzouri
    hhazzouri Posts: 103 Member
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    50 extra calories per hour, 8 hrs a day...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    hhazzouri wrote: »
    50 extra calories per hour, 8 hrs a day...

    I stood around for quite a lot of my shift today. I don't count it because that's part of my life. The burn is very minimal and already accounted for in my activity level.
  • hhazzouri
    hhazzouri Posts: 103 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    To each their own, but if you keep doing that daily the deficit will be too large to sustain on the long run. Just sayin
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    hhazzouri wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    To each their own, but if you keep doing that daily the deficit will be too large to sustain on the long run. Just sayin

    I've been tracking my food and data for two years. Thanks for your insight though.
  • hhazzouri
    hhazzouri Posts: 103 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    hhazzouri wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    To each their own, but if you keep doing that daily the deficit will be too large to sustain on the long run. Just sayin

    I've been tracking my food and data for two years. Thanks for your insight though.

    Im sure you've been running this deficit for 2 years, glad you're still alive.
  • erimethia_fekre
    erimethia_fekre Posts: 317 Member
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    I do this also. I'm also constantly running up and down 6 flights of stairs. I don't count it as exercise because I would normally do this regardless of anything else.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    hhazzouri wrote: »
    50 extra calories per hour, 8 hrs a day...

    Half the calories burned by a 160 lb gal running.... Just, standing?? Sabotage??? :tongue:
  • Dr1nkbleachndye
    Dr1nkbleachndye Posts: 441 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Best I could do: http://www.livestrong.com/article/371881-how-to-lose-weight-while-standing/

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/73916-calories-burned-standing-vs.-sitting/

    "he simple act of standing instead of sitting may help you burn 20 to 50 more calories per hour, depending on your size. Although that may not seem like a lot in a 2,000-calorie day, making the standing adjustment for four hours each day can burn an extra 80 to 200 calories -- helping you lose 8 to 20 pounds over the course of a year. Standing more often also contributes to an overall better sense of well-being and health."

    -taken from second link
  • Dr1nkbleachndye
    Dr1nkbleachndye Posts: 441 Member
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    Interesting website on the matter if you are bored: http://www.juststand.org/
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    8 miles is a lot of extra calories burned. Can i ask why you don't add them/eat them back?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    tlbays wrote: »
    Hi! I was wondering if I should count nonstop standing for 8 hours as exercise. Your thoughts?

    No doubt you read this when you set up your profile here, and you know it is found under the Goals tab, but ...


    How would you describe your normal daily activities?
    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)


    If you stand 8 hours a day, you might be "lightly active".

    You could try setting yourself as "lightly active" and see what happens. Give it a month. If you're not losing weight, change yourself to sedentary and try that for a month or so.


    I wouldn't count standing at work as exercise ... but if you then went out and, say, walked for a couple hours after work, that would count as exercise.

  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    This argument will get two sides.

    The one where they say no because it is too insignificant, and the other that says yes because you are burning calories.

    The reality is do it however you want so long as you get a reasonably accurate Calories Out estimate. So, either add it as exercise with your activity level set to sedentary, or set your activity level up a bit and don't add it. Ultimately it makes NO DIFFERENCE either way.

    There is no reason at all this should turn into an argument defending either method as it is personal preference.
  • foxygirl14
    foxygirl14 Posts: 158 Member
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    I wouldn't. I have a standing desk at work that I use all day and am still considered sedentary. The burn is so minimal and your body tends to compensate for tiny amounts of expenditure like that. If you want to stand, that's great -it helps me stay awake and feel more energetic in general- but I wouldn't do it so I could eat more if I were you.
  • ShinyFuture
    ShinyFuture Posts: 314 Member
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    tlbays wrote: »
    Hi! I was wondering if I should count nonstop standing for 8 hours as exercise. Your thoughts?

    If you were already doing that before/during your weight gain, then I wouldn't. Well, I wouldn't anyways but especially not if it wasn't something new.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    8 miles is a lot of extra calories burned. Can i ask why you don't add them/eat them back?

    Because it's only slightly more than what falls under my "lightly active" lifestyle.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    hhazzouri wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    hhazzouri wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just no. I walked 8 miles today and I didn't add any extra calories.

    To each their own, but if you keep doing that daily the deficit will be too large to sustain on the long run. Just sayin

    I've been tracking my food and data for two years. Thanks for your insight though.

    Im sure you've been running this deficit for 2 years, glad you're still alive.

    Not in a deficit :)

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