going to a movie theater counts as a light workout.
count me in.
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If your New Year’s resolution is to exercise more, your goal just got a lot easier.
Sitting through a film at the cinema could be considered light exercise, according to researchers at the University College London (UCL), who found that movie-goers often experienced heart rate increases equal to about 40 minutes of low-impact cardio.
The trip to the movie theater makes all the difference, scientists believe. Whereas film fans are easily distracted while watching at home, the unbroken concentration involved in seeing a movie at the cinema is the key to their finding.
“Cultural experiences like going to the cinema provide opportunities to devote our undivided attention for sustained periods of time,” writes UCL neuroscientist Joseph Devlin in the report. “In the cinema, however, there is nothing else you can do except immerse yourself.”
This means a movie night could be good for our minds, too.
“Our ability to work through problems without distraction makes us better able to solve problems and be productive,” he says.
The study, paid for by UK-based Vue Cinemas, observed 51 participants as they watched the 2019 live-action remake of “Aladdin,” with sensors tracking their heart rates and skin reactions during the film. Their results were compared to a group of 26 others who spent that same amount of time reading.
A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. The results showed that those who spent 40 minutes in a movie theater reached a “healthy heart zone,” with rates landing somewhere between 40% to 80% of its maximum rate — about 95 and 160 beats per minute for an average middle-aged adult. This level of heart activity could be compared to brisk walking or gardening, researchers say.
Study authors also noted that moviegoers’ heart beats began to synchronize during the film, which may contribute to “a positive effect on our overall social connectedness.”
“A shared social focus not only has a proven link to greater bonding and empathy with others,” they write, “but also has been proven to reduce symptoms of loneliness and depression.”
According to Devlin, this sort of prolonged concentration could be a boon to anyone, especially those who feel constantly distracted by smartphones, tablets and social media.
“In a world where it is increasingly difficult to step away from our devices, this level of sustained focus is good for us,” he writes.
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‘cinema is a great binding force for a nation.’
-judith kumar
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credits: hannah sparks, ny post
I’m in !
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I’ll see you thete
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This is good! Off to the cinema!
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Get your workout in !
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I’m ready!
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What great news! 😉
We usually go to a movie in Philadelphia, instead of going to one of our local suburban theaters, so we get a walk in, too!
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Double workout
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🙂
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I like the results of this study, indeed, Beth.
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Excellent results
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Wow! Count me in. I love this workout. LOL Thank you for this fabulous bit of information. 🙂
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Community service!
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Hmm…I go to a couple movies a year. Maybe I’ll double that. All in the name of fitness, of course.
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Pick up the pace!
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Yep! Count me in, I’ll gladly be suffering a bit by going to a cinema near us! 🙂 This kind of workout is music to my years.
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Enjoy your workout
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Dang! Now that is exercise I can wrap my head around.
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It’s a win!
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So, that’s good news… but I may need to skip the popcorn to not destroy the “workout” result … lol
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Ah, good point
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😄
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Well that is fabulous news, Beth!
It has given me even more reason to enjoy the moves in a theatre!
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Me too!
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Interesting!
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It is!
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This is great news. There are so many movies I want to see!
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get ready for a workout!
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does this mean I have to wear my workout clothes when I go to the movies?
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whatever you are comfortable in, and that will allow you to stretch to reach your popcorn
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sounds like a plan!
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Very interesting! Good to know!
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who knew I’d been working out so much? )
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I like this idea!
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it’s a good one!
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My kind of workout!
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me too!
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…and to think of all the time I wasted at the “Y.”
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I know!
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Ohhhh who knew?! Exercise coming right up then 😉
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without any further delay!
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I think my giant box of popcorn negates the light workout. 🙂
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you might be right about the math
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😀
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Awesomeness!
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good news!
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