Standing vs Sitting Calculator
Enter your body weight and daily work hours, and this calculator shows the real calorie difference between sitting and standing.
About
About Standing vs Sitting Calorie Burn
Standing desks got hyped as a fitness fix, but the actual calorie gap is modest, standing typically burns somewhere around 0.15 extra calories per minute over sitting, which is part of what researchers call NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, the energy you burn through everyday posture and movement rather than deliberate exercise. This calculator runs that math against your actual work hours so you see the real number instead of a marketing claim.
The honest version of the standing desk story is less dramatic than most office wellness posters suggest. An extra 20 to 50 calories burned per hour of standing adds up over a full work week, but it's nowhere close to a substitute for actual cardiovascular exercise, it's a small, free addition to your daily energy balance, not a workout replacement.
Where standing genuinely helps is in breaking up prolonged sedentary stretches, which several studies have linked to worse metabolic markers independent of total exercise elsewhere in the day. The calorie burn is a side benefit; the bigger win is just not staying motionless for eight straight hours.
Enter your body weight and how many hours you spend sitting versus standing during a typical workday. The calculator applies the per-minute calorie differential to your actual schedule and projects the difference across a day, week, and month.
Your work habits and body stats are yours to keep private. Everything runs locally in your browser, with no data about your schedule or weight transmitted to a server.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does standing really burn noticeably more calories than sitting?
A little, roughly 20 to 50 extra calories per hour depending on body weight, since your leg and core muscles have to actively engage to hold posture. It's measurable but modest.
Are there downsides to standing all day?
Yes, standing motionless for hours can cause lower back strain, foot fatigue, and swollen ankles. Ergonomic guidance generally recommends alternating between sitting and standing rather than standing continuously.
What's a better way to boost calorie burn at a desk job?
Pairing a standing desk with short walking breaks every hour, or light stretching between tasks, does more for your overall energy expenditure than standing alone.
Is a standing desk actually worth the cost for the calorie difference alone?
Probably not for calories alone, since the difference is modest, around 8 to 10 extra calories per hour. The stronger case for a standing desk is reduced prolonged sitting time, which research links to posture and circulation benefits that go beyond the calorie math this calculator shows.
Does standing instead of sitting actually help with back pain?
It can help some people by reducing the lower-back pressure that comes from prolonged sitting, but standing completely still for hours brings its own strain on feet, knees and lower back. Alternating between sitting and standing tends to work better than committing fully to either one.
How often should I switch between sitting and standing during a workday?
A commonly cited guideline is roughly 30 minutes of sitting followed by standing for a shorter stretch, though there's no single proven ratio. The bigger goal is simply breaking up long unbroken stretches of either position rather than hitting an exact number.
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