I recently discovered one simple lifestyle change that burns 200 extra calories every single workday.

I lost weight, increased endurance, lowered stress, heightened productivity, and boosted attitude! It’s all based on scientific research.* And no, I am not selling anything! ?

For 15 years, I had the privilege of teaching chemistry at Bethany College, in Bethany, WV. I left there in my late forties to become a discipleship/leadership pastor at Crossroads Church, in Oakdale, PA. And then 7 years after that, I resigned my church staff position to start R.J. Scherba Christian Coaching.

Over the years, although I exercised about the same amount, and I ate about the same, I slowly gained weight. I attributed it to just getting older! LOL

But it finally dawned on me that even though I was exercising on my own time, I was sitting more at work, day in, day out, over many years.

When I taught at the college, I stood up while teaching classes, I walked a lot while supervising labs, and I went up and down stairs many times each day. In my church staff position, I was on my feet far less. And now, as a life coach, I spend almost all of my working hours talking to clients on the phone, writing, and doing other things on my computer.

You probably know people who eat a lot and rarely work out, but they never seem to gain any weight.

Their “secret” is probably very simple. They probably stand, pace, or move around a lot throughout their workdays, often without ever really thinking about it.

And now, medical research has confirmed my suspicion! Health experts recently discovered that everyone should stand up every day at work, starting with 2 hours daily, eventually working up to 4 hours daily.

Studies show that people who stand up less than 4 hours each workday experience increased rates of obesity, joint and muscle problems, diabetes, and cancer.

Prolonged sitting damages health even more than smoking! And it kills even more people than HIV!

On the other hand, standing up 4 hours each workday gives huge health benefits:

• Standing dramatically increases calories burned. Depending on body weight, you burn about 50 calories per hour just by standing up. That’s 200 calories daily for 4 hours of standing! And that’s the caloric equivalent of running 10 marathons every year!
• Standing boosts metabolism, which goes down 90% after sitting 30 minutes, and good cholesterol drops 20% after sitting two hours. But the amazing thing is that everything resets after just 5 minutes of standing up.
• Standing increases work productivity by 50%.
• Standing correlates very highly with long-term better mood and increased vigor.
  Of course, it’s important not to overdo a good thing! Standing up too much is associated with increased back pain, leg cramps, neck problems, and varicose veins. So health experts recommend alternating sitting and standing, and changing positions every 20-30 minutes.

One of the absolutely easiest ways to log your 4 hours of standing each workday is to use a standup desk.

I bought a 4.5-star-rated unit that sits on my regular desk for under $50 at Amazon. The unit is sturdy, adjusts well for height, and it perfect for my laptop computer. I also purchased a 4.5-star-rated anti-fatigue mat that is so easy on the feet.

Update on June 14, 2016

I have been using my standup desk a few weeks now. So far, I’ve lost 2 pounds, with no other lifestyle change. It  might be too early to say whether my slight weight loss is just because of this change in lifestyle, but if so, I will revise this post later. And of course, individual metabolic rates differ, but even if you don’t lose weight, you at least won’t gain weight as easily, and you’ll reap all of the other health benefits of standing up at work. (Revision on January 7, 2017: Some of my coaching clients say they have lost weight, by assuming that four hours of standing each day burns 200 calories, which is 50 calories per hour. For myself, when I assume I burn 35 calories per hour, the calculations work better. So the number of calories per hour you burn might vary as well.)

Update on June 28, 2017

I bought this portable laptop desk at Amazon for under $30, and I love it, because I can use it anywhere, like on the porch, as in the picture!

I am not a medical professional, so please consult your doctor for professional advice about weight loss.

Do you want to live on purpose for God?

Good health will help you do that! Will you get a standup desk? Who will hold you accountable for getting it and using it?

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

* References:
http://michaelhyatt.com/standup-desk.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/02/medical-researchers-have-figured-out-how-much-time-is-okay-to-spend-sitting-each-day/
http://press.psprings.co.uk/bjsm/may/bjsm094618.pdf