Energy balance
Common sitting activities such as typing and playing hand-held games can exceed the 1.5 MET threshold for sedentary behavior, while standing still may remain below it, challenging the strict posture-based definition of sedentary behavior.
Don't assume standing is always 'better' than sitting. If you are typing or playing a game, you might be burning more calories than if you were just standing still. To get a real metabolic boost, you need to walk or move, not just stand. Active sitting (like playing motion-controlled games) can also push you out of the 'sedentary' category.
The suggested 1.5 MET threshold for sedentary behaviors seems reasonable however some sitting based activities may be classified as non-sedentary. ... Standing still yielded an average of 1.59 (SD: 0.37) METs. ... The more active, yet still seated, games on the Wii yielded an average of 2.06 (SD: 0.5) METS.
Why this rating
Experimental cross-over trial with objective gas analysis, though limited to a specific set of activities and healthy/obese adults.
Source
Energy expenditure during common sitting and standing tasks: examining the 1.5 MET definition of sedentary behaviour
Maedeh Mansoubi et al. · BMC Public Health · 2015
DOI 10.1186/s12889-015-1851-x
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