As spooky season rolls around, could your scary movie marathon be an asset to your fitness goals?
As soon as the leaves start to yellow and fall, the time for a good scary movie is on the horizon! You and your friends might already be planning a horror movie marathon complete with all the classics, but a good scare doesn’t just raise your heart rate…it might also be burning calories!
An early 2000s study from University of Westminster in the UK determined that being watching a scary movie burns upwards of 150 calories, all while you’re sitting down! The top scoring movie was The Shining in which the frightened participant burned 184 calories, or the equivalent of a short walk. Horror movies often trigger the body’s fight or flight response which includes heightened senses, raised heart rate and quickened breathing, mirroring the body’s response to light cardio. A similar study from Coventry University around the same time also noted that watching horror movies raised white blood cell counts and temporarily heightened the body’s immune system responses. While stress is usually considered a bad thing, a scary movie might come with a few health benefits including improved mood afterwards, at least to viewers who elected to watch the movie.
Want to give it a try and aren’t sure what to watch? The Westminster study tested The Shining, Jaws and The Exorcist as the highest ranking calorie burning movies!
While not enough to replace your cardio day, watching a scary movie does burn calories! So whether you’re a horror movie fan or just looking to get into the spooky season this October, consider a horror movie night for your rest day activity.
References
How Many Calories Does a Horror Movie Burn? The Science Behind the Scares