How many calories do you burn at work?

There are thousands of different jobs in Britain, from firefighters to farmers, bakers to bankers, marketers to massage therapists. The nature of our jobs and the tasks we carry out can determine just how physically active we are at work, resulting in a huge variation between roles in the number of calories burnt.

Here, we look at some of the most active jobs in Britain compared to those that burn the least amount of calories, as well as how many calories are actually burnt on average.

The Most Active Jobs In Britain

It isn’t surprising that the most active workers in Britain come from professions that involve a lot of standing, lifting things and moving around throughout the day.

For example, when firefighters are at their most active – fighting flames and rescuing people – they can burn a whopping 748 calories an hour. In addition to firemen, postmen and couriers are also deemed as having active jobs. Studies have found these job roles to be the most active, and with the physically fittest workers in the country. Postmen, for example, can burn up to 1,500 calories each day due to the amount of walking they do on shift..

Other workers found to be extremely fit and active include farmers, nurses, caterers and retail workers, who can burn anything between 1,054 and 1,284 calories a day.

The Least Active Jobs In Britain

There are plenty of industries in which professionals tend to sit behind desks for much of their working lives, and the calories burnt by these workers in comparison to the more active workers is quite low. Studies have found those working in call centres and travel agencies to be the least active of workers, and on average, desk workers burn around 34 calories an hour, equating to just 272 calories in the standard eight-hour working day.

The Effects Of Sitting Or Sedentary Jobs

According to research carried out on the subject, there is on average a shocking two-year difference in life expectancy between those who spend most of their day sitting and those who don’t.

Stand Starting include an interactive tool that calculates the amount of calories you could burn on a hourly, daily and weekly basis.

Improving Activity Levels And Overall Health

if you are in a job with low levels of physical activity, it is worth looking at ways you can increase the amount of exercise you do throughout the day.

Some desk workers find that simply having regular breaks to get up and walk around, as well as taking the stairs instead of the lift, can dramatically improve overall wellbeing and reduce feelings of fatigue.

In addition to a number of desk exercises that can be implemented during working hours, inventions such as standing desks are also an effective way of slowly incorporating more activity into your day. After work, why not go swimming, jogging, or cycling? With so much choice available these days, something is bound to take your fancy!

Of course, in order to make the most of any time spent exercising, diet and nutrition play a vital role. Try to ensure that you are enjoying a healthy, balanced diet to maximise the potential that any exercise has on your body. You can also consider incorporating one of our daily supplements into your diet to help safeguard your daily intake of key nutrients.

Questions About Calories

Q. What Are Calories?

A. Calorie is a unit of measurement, it is a unit of energy. According to the NHS, calories are "the amount of energy in an item of food or drink".

Q. How Many Calories Are Burned Sitting vs. Standing?

A. There is no exact answer. However, the National Institutes of Health has said that in an hour, the average 170 lb. person burns:

134 Calories Sitting / 204 Calories Standing / 296 Calories Walking At A Moderate Pace / 341 Calories Walking Briskly