Employees who spend half of an eight-hour working day standing use 13 percent more energy than colleagues who are seated, a new study has found.
Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute Professor David Dunstan led the study, measuring the energy expenditure of 20 desk-based workers over two weeks while standing and sitting in a work environment.
During an average five-day working week, the extra energy used standing for four hours a day equated to a 45-minute brisk walk, Prof Dunstan said.
"This is a small increment but it's significant if you consider the difference over a working week," News.com.au quoted Dunstan as saying.
"If people change their workplace environment and they were also meeting their regular exercise goals, it would have a positive effect on their health," he said.
Prof Dunstan said much of the extra energy use came from the contraction of muscles used to keep the body upright.
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Recent research found people who spend most of their days sitting - at work, on the bus or train and while watching TV - may not ward off heart disease, even if they exercise for 30 minutes a day as recommended.
Workers who don't have height-adjustable workstations should take a break, stand up and move every 20-30 minutes.
