Standing Desk Calorie Calculator
Calculate how many extra calories you burn by standing instead of sitting at your desk. See the daily, weekly, and yearly impact on your health and weight.
Parameters
How many hours per day you stand at your desk.
Your body weight in kilograms.
Results
≈ 15 minutes of brisk walking
Other results (4)
Based on 5 work days
Assuming no change in diet
Why Choose Standing Desk Calorie Calculator
Sitting is the new smoking — but how much does standing at your desk actually help? This calculator uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from peer-reviewed exercise science to estimate the extra calories you burn by standing instead of sitting. It shows the daily, weekly, and yearly impact, including equivalent weight loss and how it compares to walking.
- ✓Uses scientifically validated MET values for sitting vs standing
- ✓Shows yearly weight loss potential from a simple desk change
- ✓Compares standing calories to equivalent walking time
- ✓Accounts for realistic work schedules (5 days/week, 48 weeks/year)
How to Use
- 1Enter how many hours per day you stand at your desk
- 2Enter your body weight in kilograms
- 3See your extra calorie burn per day, week, and year
- 4Check the equivalent weight loss over a full year
- 5Try adjusting the hours to find your ideal standing goal
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many extra calories does standing burn vs sitting?
Standing burns about 0.3 more METs than sitting. For a 70 kg person, that is roughly 21 extra calories per hour, or about 60-100 extra calories for a 3-5 hour standing session.
Is standing all day good for you?
No. Experts recommend alternating between sitting and standing every 30-60 minutes. Prolonged standing can cause leg pain, varicose veins, and joint stress. Aim for 2-4 hours of standing per workday.
Can standing at a desk really help with weight loss?
Standing alone will not cause dramatic weight loss, but 3 hours/day can burn an extra ~100-150 calories daily, leading to roughly 2-3 kg of weight loss per year — without any other lifestyle changes.
What are MET values?
MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is a unit that measures the energy cost of physical activities. Sitting quietly is ~1.0 MET, office sitting is ~1.5 MET, and standing desk work is ~1.8 MET. The difference tells us how much extra energy standing requires.
Does standing help with back pain?
Yes, for many people. Standing reduces the sustained forward-flexed posture of sitting, which is a major cause of lower back pain. Studies show a 30-50% reduction in back pain with regular standing desk use.
Authoritative References & Sources
2011 Compendium of Physical Activities — Ainsworth et al.
View SourceSitting Time and Standing Interventions — Buckley et al. (BMJ Open)
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