If your job or lifestyle has you spending a lot of time on your feet, you are probably burning more calories standing and light walking than you realize. The calories you expend in these simple activities can make a difference in your weight and fitness level.
Activities
Light walking at about two miles per hour requires little exertion, but the calories you expend add up through the day. When you're standing, you burn calories as your skeletal and abdominal muscles work to hold you upright. Other activities you perform while standing or walking, such as folding clothes or carrying boxes, may increase the calories you burn.
Calories
Your gender, height and weight make a difference in the calories you expend. A 150-lb. person performing light activity while standing burns 112 calories per hour. The same person walking two miles per hour burns 170 calories in one hour. An online calorie calculator can help you determine the calories you expend according to your weight.
Suggestions
If you're sedentary, look for opportunities to stand instead of sit. Take light 10-minute walks whenever you can. Soon you may want to increase your activity with longer, faster walks to expend more calories while boosting cardiovascular fitness.
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