Beat Sedentary Lifestyle by Reading! Healthy Ways to Enjoy Books
With just a few simple tweaks, you can turn reading into a way to reduce sedentary habits and stay active. In this guide, we share practical methods for reading books in a healthier and more active way.
Modified at: 2025.9.23Posted at: 2022.3.7
Calories Burned Are Small, But Start with Reading While Standing
At one point, the “standing desk” became popular, especially among Silicon Valley startups. At the time, claims like “standing doubles calorie burn!” were common, but in reality, the difference is not that significant.
According to an analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2018, the calorie difference from switching desk work to standing was about 0.19 kcal for men and about 0.1 kcal for women. Definitely not double.
Small Efforts Add Up
When you consider reading time, the benefits of standing become clearer.
Unlike small tasks done on your feet, reading often takes place over extended periods. Many daily readers spend several hours reading each day.
Research from Kinokuniya’s online bookstore honto found that average daily reading time was 39.1 minutes for men in their 20s (the longest group), and even for women in their 40s (the shortest group), it was 25.5 minutes.
So while daily time may seem short, how does it look over longer periods?
| Period | Time | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 40 min | 0.12 kcal |
| 1 week | 280 min | 0.84 kcal |
| 1 month | 1200 min | 3.6 kcal |
| 6 months | 7200 min | 21.6 kcal |
| 1 year | 14400 min | 43.2 kcal |
Even with just 40 minutes of daily reading, the difference totals 43.2 kcal in a year. While that’s only about 1/7 of a chocolate bar, avid readers spending 3 hours daily could burn over 100 kcal annually just from reading.
Move Your Body to Burn Even More
This study assumed “almost no movement,” but when it comes to reading, unlike desk work, you can add light exercise.
For instance, including squats or taking a few steps immediately boosts calorie burn. Once comfortable, you can incorporate stretches or yoga poses to further increase activity levels.
Advantages and disadvantages of reading on a balance ball
The balance ball is popular as a simple exercise item. In this issue, we summarize the advantages and disadvantages of reading on a balance ball.
If you want to seriously combine reading and exercise, walking devices let you read while walking. In this case, you could burn over 200 kcal per hour of reading, adding up to more than 70,000 kcal annually. At that point, your reading time effectively becomes workout time.
We’ve looked at ways to make reading healthier.
Since reading is usually an indoor hobby that may lead to physical inactivity, pairing it with light exercise helps you enjoy books while reducing sedentary habits.
If you struggle with lack of exercise, give this approach a try.