Minn. researchers study standing vs. sitting at a desk

Minnesota researchers set up special work stations at a Minneapolis business Tuesday to assess the health benefits of standing rather than sitting at a desk.

Dr. Steven Stovitz, one of the lead investigators on the study, heads a team that will measure how standing affects muscle tone, blood pressure and an employee's sense of well-being. Stovitz said previous research has already shown that standing uses more calories than sitting.

"People burn somewhere around to 20 or 30 more calories per hour standing as opposed to sitting," Stovitz said. "If you do that for eight hours you'd be somewhere around 100, 200, even up to 300 calories difference per day. And if you burn 300 more calories per day and you did that for 7 days straight, you'd be losing a pound or so every 7 days."

Twenty-nine Caldrea employees will participate in the three-month study by reducing the time they spend sitting by 50 percent. The research is a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.

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