Key Takeaways
- Standing quietly is assigned 1.0 MET by the Compendium — equal to the resting metabolic baseline.[1]
- Standing with miscellaneous light work (2.5 MET) burns approximately 184 kcal per hour for a 70 kg person.[3]
- A systematic review found standing burns approximately 0.15 kcal/min more than sitting on average.[5]
- Standing arts and crafts at vigorous effort (3.5 MET) is the highest standing MET in the Compendium miscellaneous section.[1]
- These are informational estimates for personal awareness. Use the sitting comparison to see the marginal difference.
Quick Standing Calorie Charts
Estimated kcal for 1 hour. For informational reference only.
| Standing Activity | MET | 55 kg | 70 kg | 85 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Quietly / Reading | 1 | 58 | 74 | 89 | 105 |
| Standing, Talking / Phone Call | 1.3 | 75 | 96 | 116 | 137 |
| Standing, Filing / Copying | 1.5 | 87 | 110 | 134 | 158 |
| Standing, Drawing / Writing | 1.8 | 104 | 132 | 161 | 189 |
| Standing, Miscellaneous / Light Work | 2.5 | 144 | 184 | 223 | 263 |
| Standing, Arts & Crafts (Light) | 2.5 | 144 | 184 | 223 | 263 |
| Standing, Arts & Crafts (Moderate) | 3.3 | 191 | 243 | 295 | 347 |
| Standing, Arts & Crafts (Vigorous) | 3.5 | 202 | 257 | 312 | 368 |
How the Estimate Works
The calculator applies the standard MET formula with activity-specific MET values:[1]
Calories = (MET × 3.5 × Wt_kg × Duration_min) ÷ 200
Duration is entered in hours and converted to minutes internally. The sitting comparison uses 1.3 MET (desk work) as the baseline.[5]
Standing Activities Explained
Standing Quietly (1.0 MET)
Relaxed standing with no active engagement. Equal to the resting metabolic baseline (Compendium code 09071).[1]
Talking / Phone Call (1.3 MET)
Standing conversation in person or on the phone. The light engagement adds minimal metabolic cost (code 09073).[1]
Drawing / Writing (1.8 MET)
Standing at a surface while drawing, writing, or painting. Sustained upper-body engagement increases effort (code 09055).[1]
Misc / Light Work (2.5 MET)
General standing work — retail, teaching, or light workshop tasks. The most common standing desk comparison point (code 09075).[1]
Arts & Crafts, Vigorous (3.5 MET)
Vigorous-effort standing craft work. The highest standing MET in the Compendium miscellaneous section (code 09087).[1]
Filing / Copying (1.5 MET)
Filing documents, copying, or other light standing office tasks (code 09050).[1]
Standing vs Sitting Comparison
The calculator automatically compares your standing calorie estimate against sitting desk work (1.3 MET) for the same duration.[5]
For a 70 kg person over 8 hours:
- Sitting, desk work (1.3 MET): ~765 kcal
- Standing, misc/light work (2.5 MET): ~1,470 kcal
- Standing, drawing/writing (1.8 MET): ~1,058 kcal
A meta-analysis of 46 studies found the average difference between standing and sitting is approximately 0.15 kcal/min, or about 54 kcal over 6 hours for a 65 kg person.[5]
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
- Miscellaneous Activities - Compendium of Physical Activities. Compendium of Physical Activities. PAC Compendium (2024)
- MET values for physical activities. Ainsworth et al.. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2011)
- Exercise energy expenditure. PMC. PMC (2019)
- Energy expenditure standing versus sitting. PubMed. PubMed (2016)
- Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ResearchGate. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (2018)
- Standing desk energy expenditure study. PubMed. PubMed (2018)
- Stand more, burn slightly more calories. Harvard Health. Harvard Health Publishing (2021)
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This tool is for informational and journaling purposes only.
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