Standing Desk Weight Loss

One of the main disadvantages of working in an enclosed office space is that you will invariably be able to pinch a few extra inches more at the end of each working month. The office environment is hardly conducive to shedding calories – although maybe if you type fast enough a sweat of sorts may be built up and you never know, that cappuccino and cream cheese bagel you had for breakfast just might be burnt off before lunch – highly unlikely, but if it makes you feel better you can take it as gospel. But, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth can be found on the scales.

Woman demonstrates the benefits of standing desks for weight loss
Want to lose weight? Try using a Standing Desk. Not only will you burn more calories, but you will be healthier because of it.

The poor scale you bought in the January sales is already beginning to wilt, such is the daily torture they have to endure. Let me tell you, if inanimate products could move and talk, your scale would’ve run over the hills and far away many moons ago, while bellowing an ear splitting scream for mercy. In short, and not to beat around the bush here, you’re beginning to become rather portly and you only have yourself to blame.

While you are indeed somewhat contained during your working day in the office, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to exercise lightly at all times and in turn engage in a full-scale battle with your ever expanding waistline.

How? How on Earth should I go about this? I hear your puzzled queries buzzing around the open-planned workplace.

Well, let me tell you before we go any further that you aren’t expected to sporadically sprint laps of the office, and you by no means have to get down on the floor in order to perform a sweaty selection of push-ups, sit-ups or squat thrusts No. All your weight problems can be solved with one simple solution – the Standing Desk.

Standing Desk Weight Loss

The Standing Desk, a desk which is built so it stands just below shoulder height rather than waist height allowing its user to stand up (here is an overview of the best), will assist you with weight loss in a variety of different ways. Of course you’ll probably find the very notion of standing at a desk for long periods of time quite daunting initially, but once into your stride you will find it becomes second nature and as well as achieving your weight loss goals you will find that the Standing Desk also promotes back and core strength, greatly improved circulation and generally far greater productivity. It is a means of working which should not be ignored.

No one is saying that you need to make an immediate transition. After having spent so many days, weeks, months or even years slumped precariously over your desk, then a good starting point would be to start using the Standing Desk option perhaps just a couple of hours at a time. Studies conducted have proven that people who get up from their seated positions a couple of times an hour and generally give themselves a break from sitting, have smaller waistlines and better profiles for sugar and fat metabolisms than of those who remained sat stationary at their work spaces for long periods of time. So imagine then that you are eventually able to stand all day at your desk! Any previous weight woes would be scuttling meekly off into the sunset.

Naturally, standing up burns more calories than sitting down, a third more in fact; so after that heavy lunch time snack or the chocolate brownie assisted coffee break, your body will react in a kinder fashion should you chose to gently continue with your duties whilst standing up rather than slouching into your desk.

Now What!?

You know how standing desks help facilitate weight loss, but what should you get? There are a couple of options, you can grab a standing desk converter and convert your current desk into a sit/stand desk.  Or you can get one of these Adjustable Height Desks. Of course if you are handy with tools, or know someone who is, you can build one yourself.

ImageNamePrice
FlexiSpot 35
FlexiSpot 35
FlexiSpot 35

A nice set of features for the price. This standard desk converter provides just under 36" of width, a decent capacity for your monitors, and a great look on your desk.
Flexispot 35
ZipLift 35
FlexiSpot 35
ZipLift 35

Good quality but doesn't have the capacity for large dual monitors. The only desk converter with a tilting keyboard tray for an extreme improvement in your wrist ergonomics.
ZipLift 35
BOOST in Bamboo
Ergotron WorkFit-TL
BOOST in Bamboo

Very modern, environmental, and professional look to this converter. Has good capacity, can handle a monitor arm, and has great quality.
BOOST Bamboo
Ergotron WorkFit-TL
Ergotron WorkFit-TL
Ergotron WorkFit-TL

Sits on your desk and raises or lowers straight up and down. Can support dual monitors with an arm.
Ergotron TL
Ergotron WorkFit-S
Ergotron WorkFit-S
Ergotron WorkFit-S


Hooks to the front of your desk and provides space for 2 monitors, your keyboard, and a worksurface just under the monitors.
Erotron S
Innovative Winston Electric
Winston Electric
Winston E Dual

Freestanding sit-stand desk with an push button electric raise and lower system. Supports dual montors.
Winston E Dual

Final Thoughts

Becoming overweight and eventually obese certainly doesn’t happen overnight. An extra calorie or two here and there will gradually, over the months and years, have us looking in the mirror one morning and inquiring into who on Earth this ghastly creature standing before you is. When your dear spouse informs that it is indeed you, you go about psychologically beating yourself up – how could I let things have got so terribly out of control? Well, those extra calories, which while sitting down at your desk will never get worked off, will be falling to the ground and dropping like flies as you glide through your tasks and assignments at your Standing Desk, leaving you insusceptible to the horrors of a large calorific build-up.

Standing Desk weight loss can be summarized like this:

  • While sitting the heart rate and calorie burn deteriorates
  • After a lunch or coffee break, sitting will immediately see a calorie build up which will slowly but surely see the outset of obesity
  • Standing up burns a third more calories than sitting down
  • Your heart rate increases while standing which promotes burning calories
  • Even standing for a couple of hours per day can see you burn as much as 10 pounds of fat per year – Just standing!
  • With a standing desk your circulation is markedly improved
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7 thoughts on “Standing Desk Weight Loss

  • June 11, 2014 at 5:44 pm
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    I have been standing at work for the past 15 months. I sit for meetings and to eat my (healthy) lunch but that’s it. I see no change in my body. This may sound silly but am I doing it wrong? Every article that involves a stander’s testimonial cites weight loss. Thanks!

    • July 17, 2015 at 5:12 am
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      I see no change either in my body. I’ve been standing for the last 6 months for about 4-6h a day.

  • October 5, 2014 at 6:48 pm
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    Yes, we are all different. Some of us (women more than men perhaps) really need to do a lot of exercise in order to lose weight. Ellen, you might try a balance board, inflated disc, or similar device; these encourage your body to make constant small movements to keep you upright. More drastic (and possibly more effective) solutions include mini steppers and treadmill desks. Personally, I don’t like the stepper and can’t afford a treadmill desk. Good luck!

  • September 19, 2015 at 10:53 am
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    I have started using a stand up desk. I stand 40 + hours a week now vs sitting those 40 + hours for over 10 years. The key is the water.intake and calorie cutting . Try to press yourself to drink a gallon of water a day. In one month, people have mentioned to me i look like ive lost weight. My standing desk co worker reported losing 11 pounds so far. She also works out at home and drinks protein shakes for lunch. But the point is standing is more beneficial then sitting, you have to do more than just change that to lose weight ladies let’s be honest. The more you move and less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, proven fact. Let’s get on it ladies!

  • October 27, 2015 at 11:58 pm
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    It’s true. I’ve been using a standing desk for a couple of months now. I knew nothing about the weight loss aspect of it, but I knew I needed to get the hell out of that chair. It took some getting used to, but now I stand easily for hours at a time. And surprise, surprise! I’ve lost a pants size, doing nothing else differently–same diet, same exercise routine, same everything, except for the standing up. It works!!!

  • July 9, 2016 at 2:52 pm
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    I recently (7 weeks ago) got a standing desk at work and I love it. I am not sure if it will make me lose weight and I am not sure if it burns 200 extra calories a day for my five hours of standing per day. I also regularly exercise mostly in the mornings. There is a study that came out in June of 2016 that claims the calories burnt are one fifth as what a lot of web sites say. All I know is that I feel the leg muscles working, also the glutes, by the fourth hour. And I think the pressure of standing helps bone density and muscle density. Dont be surprised if your weight increases but your clothing feels looser. I think it puts on muscle, which is denser than fat. I also think my blood circulation is better from this new habit of standing longer cumulative hours. I was worried about my BP one day two weeks ago and when I measured it, it was solidly in the healthy range. Physiologically, standing seems to be making me feel more energetic. My own rule of thumb is I do not measure calories burnt by resistance training (standing desks and weight training).

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