Last updated: January 21st, 2026
Almost all corporate workers spend their working week at a desk. Whether standing or sitting, computer work has become the norm. Australian guidelines outline that 7 hours or more of sedentary behaviour daily puts you in a high-risk bracket for poor health outcomes.
Today, we’ll look at the outcomes of sitting or standing whilst you work, plus the general guidelines you can implement to optimise your health and well-being in the workplace.
We’ll share tips for maximising an ultimate healthy workday. Take notes!
(Related: 5 Standing Desk Setups That Actually Look Great).
Standing vs Sitting.
Taking a holistic view is essential when looking at your daily energy expenditure.
Tracking calories is far too simplified to reflect a person’s circumstances, and it isn’t an accurate measurement of overall health.
Instead, ask yourself:
- What does a typical day look like?
- How many steps do you average per day?
- Do you take the stairs or a lift?
- Do you drive, walk, or cycle to commute?
- How is your sleep tracking?
- How do you feel overall? Energised or exhausted?
With this in mind, let’s look at the basics below.
Calories Burned.
Calories are defined as the fuel we retain from food, often known as ‘kilocalories’.
Important!
An essential part of a healthy lifestyle is understanding energy balance; how much energy you use during the day compared to the point you consume.
There are many nuances regarding calories, often polluted by ions of conflicting information perpetuated by the diet industry. Many believe it’s as simple as ‘calories in, calories out’, but that is not the case.
The reality is that a balanced, plant-rich diet low in saturated fats and low in refined sugar is the best guideline for long-term health. This is true for different populations worldwide.
Expert Tip.
Have you heard of the Blue Zones? These cultures around the world have uncovered the keys to living healthier for longer, and the commonalities are uncanny.
The takeaway? Unfortunately, not all calories are created equal. They are an utterly outdated measurement of overall health.
Regardless of calories, if your diet is compromised of fast food or meals devoid of nutrients, you cannot be healthier than someone who eats a nutritious diet.
(Related: Do You Experience Foot Pain While Using A Standing Desk?)
The Small Moments.
Regarding calories expended in the workplace, the difference between sitting and standing isn’t as significant as many think. However, you should not take that as an excuse to continue sitting all day.
The guideline currently stands that:
- Standing burns approximately 186 calories per hour.
- Sitting burns approximately 139 per hour.
However, small actions add up.
Choosing to stand each day (or even for part of the day) can equal an additional 2000+ calories burnt every week, which would be enough to push you into a calorie deficit and lose fat, if that is your goal.
The benefits of standing go beyond fat loss, though. Imagine being fitter, stronger, more mobile, and living in a pain-free body. The benefits of standing are indisputable.
Health Impacts Of Standing.
If you choose to stand all day, be sure to take breaks to walk or stretch, much like you would if sitting.
Also, consider the following:
- Computer ergonomics: Ensure that your monitor is at eye level and your arms are in the correct position. Book regular eye tests and take breaks from your technology.
- Posture: Avoid leaning on your desk while standing; otherwise, you risk developing sciatica, carpel tunnel syndrome, or overall discomfort. Read our guide here to optimise your desk height for posture.
- Footwear: Invest in quality shoes to support your standing and prevent varicose veins, particularly if your work floor is concrete or tiled. Explore options here.
- Your choice of office chair: Even if you enjoy standing during your workday, you will need to sit down for periods of time. Ensure you own an ergonomic office chair with at least 5 points of adjustment.
Health Impacts Of Sitting.
Sitting for long periods is associated with far worse outcomes and higher risks of poor health.
Research has linked all-day sitting to:
- Obesity.
- Increased blood pressure.
- High blood sugar.
- Excess body fat and dangerous visceral fat.
- Unhealthy cholesterol levels.
- Metabolic syndrome.
- Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass.)
- In some cases, heart and kidney disease.
You can prevent much of this with an active lifestyle and an awareness of the risks associated with sitting.
Expert Tip.
Consider scheduling an alarm on your phone to remind you to walk for 2 minutes every hour! You could also invest in a walking pad under your desk to increase your step count.
Combining Methods.
Experts agree that the best option is to combine sitting and standing throughout your workday.
Important!
Consider adjustable-height standing desks. These flexible options allow you to customise your workstation throughout the day.
Another option is:
- Complete all your admin-heavy tasks like writing or typing whilst sitting.
- Take all calls or meetings whilst standing.
You could also:
- Work while sitting for 30 minutes.
- Stand for 25 minutes.
- Walk, stretch, or do desk-side exercises for 5 minutes (our favourites are below).
Ways To Burn More Calories.
Let’s take a wider view on this for improving our health in the workplace.
You can incorporate various methods (each unique to your body and enjoyment) to burn extra calories at work and support your overall health and fitness.
Walking.
Walking is so underrated for overall health and well-being. A daily walk can increase your energy expenditure, resulting in a calorie deficit and, over time, weight loss.
Important!
Walking at a moderate pace can burn over 320 calories per hour (more than double that of standing each hour).
According to Harvard Health, walking also:
- Increases blood flow.
- Eases joint pain and assists mobility.
- Prevents cardiovascular issues.
- Boosts immune system function.
- It has an excellent impact on your mental well-being, stress, and anxiety (especially phone-free, mindful strolling).
We recommend utilising your lunch break to walk. Alternatively, park further away and enjoy the 10-minute walk to and from the office as a great way to prepare or wind down for the day.
Stretching.
Stretching is a must-have during all stages of life. Without it, we can develop a restricted range of motion and, eventually, chronic injuries.
The good news is that it can also help to boost how many calories you burn in a day.
Stretching also:
- Improves joint health: This lubricates joints and increases the range of motion.
- Increases blood flow: Stretching delivers oxygen and nutrients to muscles, plus removes metabolic waste like carbon dioxide, ammonia, and uric acid.
- Reduce injuries: By stretching, muscles are less likely to give way in compromising positions.
- Improve strength: All athletes include mobility training to support their overall strength.
- Support mental health: Finding 5 minutes daily for quiet, uninterrupted time to stretch can be meditative or a calming practice you look forward to.
Our favourite stretches for the workplace are:
- Quadricep stretches; bring your foot back to your bottom.
- Lunges or walking lunges.
- Back stretches; lean back or forward towards your sit-stand desk.
- Hamstring stretch by doing toe touches.
You should develop a routine of stretches that feels best for you, and remember, consistency is key! We’ve compiled our favourites here.
Basic Exercises.
While standing over sitting can burn extra calories, the best way to boost your energy expenditure is to incorporate exercises at your desk.
We recommend:
- Squats: Every hour, be sure to do ten squats. As a compound movement, squats are great for overall strength too.
- Desk push-ups: Ensure your desk is stable enough first. These are a great alternative to traditional push-ups and place less impact on the wrists.
- Step-ups: Buy a small platform under your desk or find a stair outside. You can do 1-2 minutes of step-ups every hour to increase your burned calories.
- Calf-raises: These require zero equipment. Simply raise your heels slowly until you’re standing on the tips of your toes. You can also do this one leg at a time for added strength.
Extra Tips.
If you’re trying to boost how many calories you burn daily, it comes down to tiny moments throughout the day. You can improve your diet and lifestyle in many ways, eventually adding up.
Another deciding factor for health is ensuring you optimise your metabolism. While you may be fit and healthy overall, your metabolic rate determines how quickly you burn calories.
To support healthy metabolism:
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day and aim for 2 litres. Buy a colourful water bottle to remind you. We love Frank Green.
- Incorporating multiple small, healthy snacks can reduce hunger and burn fat.
- Consume protein-rich foods to satiate you and prevent your metabolism from crashing.
- Incorporate oolong or yerba-mate tea to boost your metabolism.
- Sleep can not be understated. Evidence proves that rest is crucial for a healthy body. In fact, chronic sleep deprivation significantly impedes metabolism.
Burning Calories At Standing Desks.
Standing desks can be a great addition to your workplace and should be offered in all corporate environments.
They assist with additional calories burnt throughout the day and can help you lose weight, but they are not the be-all and end-all!
Your health and well-being ultimately come down to you. Consider all the small ways you can implement throughout the day to improve your health. Can you incorporate more standing, walk to and from work, choose whole foods and nutrient-dense meals, opt for water over juices and coffee, and prioritise sleep?
Finding ways to increase your energy expenditure through various movements is the best thing you can do to support your health outcomes in the long run. Pun intended!
Steven
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven