Standing vs. Walking

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Meg2012
Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!

So in an effort of adding in extra fitness in small ways, I have begun occasionally standing at work instead of sitting.

And so I log it.

But I just noticed that MFP lists 1 hour of standing burning more calories than 1 hour of slow pace walking. Anybody know the data behind that?

I'm curious.

Thanks!

Meg

Replies

  • rose_mortem
    rose_mortem Posts: 147 Member
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    this sounds interesting! if it's true, I'll never sit down again :laugh:
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    hard to believe because you cant walk if your not upright
  • cherbapp
    cherbapp Posts: 322
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    hard to believe because you cant walk if your not upright
    No kidding!!

    I did notice that when I log walking on my phone, it gives me calories based on my goal weight, not my current weight (checked other calculators to be sure)...but when I edit after entering the minutes...or log in on the computer, it gives me the correct walking calories. I am wondering if there is just something 'off' with the walking calculator on MFP?
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I'm getting a standing work station in my cubical and I'm super excited! I expect to burn more calories but I don't intend to count them as they aren't really cardio burn and I don't think they will have a significant impact on my daily burn. I want to stand to basically firm up more and to keep my body more active.

    I'm planning on using a stability disk too - anything to keep my body guessing :) How I will manage it in heels I'm not sure yet :tongue:
  • rose_mortem
    rose_mortem Posts: 147 Member
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    actually, now that I've checked, how did you log standing? I don't see it under exercises :noway:
  • Meg2012
    Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
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    Exactly. I have added in more frequent, standing, walking, dancing to my work day which used to be much more sedentary. It has helped.
  • Meg2012
    Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
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    I'm getting a standing work station in my cubical and I'm super excited! I expect to burn more calories but I don't intend to count them as they aren't really cardio burn and I don't think they will have a significant impact on my daily burn. I want to stand to basically firm up more and to keep my body more active.

    I'm planning on using a stability disk too - anything to keep my body guessing :) How I will manage it in heels I'm not sure yet :tongue:

    Standing at work does use more calories than sitting, by far. And, while standing, you can also do core isometrics, for added abs/back work!

    Be very careful with a stability disc in heels, you don't want have it backfire and injure yourself! Then you'd be sitting through work and work outs!
  • lizgreenhill
    lizgreenhill Posts: 185
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    you burn more calories standing because your body is working harder to keep you balanced in one spot ( or so my dr says). Which is wonderful for me seeing as how my job makes me stand for more than 6 hours at a time. i logged standing by adding it i went on a website and just created my own exercise.
  • Meg2012
    Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
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    While I don't think MFP calculations are exactly right, I did find an external tool:

    http://www.juststand.org/tabid/637/language/en-US/default.aspx

    It uses your weight and hours worked and shows you how many calories you burn sitting vs standing.
  • ohmscheeks
    ohmscheeks Posts: 840 Member
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    The only thing I can imagine is with standing, it's just all you. There's no momentum or rocking helping you support your body. But, I really have no idea, lol.
  • aranchmom
    aranchmom Posts: 176 Member
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    hard to believe because you cant walk if your not upright
    If you're standing you are upright - - right? :smile:
  • cherbapp
    cherbapp Posts: 322
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    You burn more calories walking than standing.

    If you check the calculators this makes sense...MFP subtracts what you would have burned doing nothing from the calories burned walking.

    For instance for me...I burn 380 calories walking 3mph for one hour. However I burn around 100 calories per hour just breathing. So when I put in an hour of walking on my MFP calculator it gives me the difference and (i THINK) adds some for raised metabolism...about 330.

    According to the calculators I burn about 210 standing, or 170 sitting per hour....but compared the the 380 walking...it's worth the extra effort.
  • Meg2012
    Meg2012 Posts: 106 Member
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    cjbapp, and yours makes total sense. I was wondering mine was telling me I was burning more calories standing than walking. I don't exactly know how to change the algorythm.

    Folks that regularly walk or stand for work might find it silly that I log standing. However standing for an hour, vs sitting at a desk, I do want to see what it looks like as I choose to not use a stool and stand rather than sit like I used to.

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