Calories Burned During Sitting
Calories are burned by your metabolism, and your metabolism does not cease to work just because you are not engaging in strenuous activity. The majority of calories burned on a daily basis are those needed to sustain the basic functions of life, and can be burned as you sit still, and not as a result of vigorous exercise. There are also many ways to increase this base level of burned calories without leaving a sitting position.
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The Body's Use of Calories
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The human body needs energy for many of the activities we do every day but don't typically think of as exercise. Breathing, blood circulation, hormone level adjustment, food digestion, growing or repairing cells and the functioning of our organs all require energy. Our metabolism burns calories every day to fuel these basic life functions. All of these activities occur daily while we are sitting, sleeping or resting.
BMR
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The amount of calories consumed for these functions is referred to as the Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. Your BMR accounts for two-thirds to three-quarters of a day's worth of burned calories. Regardless of your shape, size or athleticism, the energy required for these basic functions is not easily altered and does not fluctuate greatly.
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Calories Burned While Sitting
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On average, a person will burn 70-90 calories per hour while resting or sitting. There are many activities that can be done as you sit that increase the amount of calories burned. These can be done while at your desk at work, while watching TV, or during the majority of activities and pastimes where you would otherwise remain relatively stationary.
Thinking and Chewing
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Maintaining an active mind, concentrating and planning can help to increase calories burned. Chewing gum, preferably sugar-free, can cause you to burn an extra 11 calories per hour, depending on body mass. Gum chewing can increase your metabolism by 20%, which would in turn increase calories burned.
Laughing and Stretching
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Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes burns approximately 50 calories. A study conducted at Vanderbilt University concluded that participants of a focus group burned 20 percent more calories when they were laughing as opposed to when they were not. Likewise, sitting and laughing for 15 minutes daily could help you lose 4.4 pounds a year. In addition to laughing, engaging in light stretching while sitting can also increase the amount of calories you burn every day from the comfort of your chair or couch.
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