Feb4

the scream workout.

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this is not me, but it demonstrates both my love of movie popcorn

and a very mild version of my reaction when watching a scary movie.

 

Watching a scary movie can burn as many calories as exercise. We’re all familiar with the feelings that come with watching a fright flick — the sense of dread that engulfs us as a character enters a foreboding place, ominous music building, etc. According to a 2012 study commissioned by the video subscription service Lovefilm, these heart-pounding moments can do more than cause a good scare, however. Of the 10 movies tested, half caused participants to burn at least 133 calories, more than the amount used up by a 140-pound adult on a brisk 30-minute walk.

Granted, this limited study was hardly robust enough to earn a write-up in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the science behind the results is essentially valid, thanks to human hard-wiring that traces to when our primitive ancestors had good reason to fear the monsters lurking in the night. When exposed to a harrowing situation, our sympathetic nervous system triggers the “flight or fight” response, which sends adrenaline into the bloodstream, diverts blood and oxygen to muscles, and kicks heart activity into a higher gear. Add in the outwardly physical reactions often prompted by the scariest scenes, such as jumping back in your seat or instinctively reaching for a companion, and it’s easy to see how sitting through The Shining (184 calories) or Jaws (161 calories) delivers results akin to sweating through a workout. (or my own natural startle response style, with me shrieking my lungs out, reflex-hitting the person next to me, throwing whatever i’m holding into the air, and hiding my entire face /body under anything i can find, which has to burn at least a good 900+ calories)

There are other benefits to putting ourselves through this sort of simulated danger, including the release of endorphins and dopamine, which allows us to feel relaxed and fulfilled after “surviving” the events witnessed on screen. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the frightening imagery in The Exorcist (158 calories) or Alien (152 calories), and researchers caution that stress can outweigh the gains for people who are genuinely repulsed by these movies. If health is your goal and the sight of blood makes you queasy, you’re better off rising from the couch and getting your legs moving instead of watching someone else flee the clutches of a zombie.

while i do love movies and i was hopeful that this

would finally be an exercise routine that i could really get behind,

i’m doubtful this one will work for me

as i can’t survive a regular regimen of terrifying movies,

or even one.

—

“based on how i react when toast pops out of the toaster,

i will never look cool walking away from an explosion.”

-word porn

 

 

—

source credit: interestingfacts

 

 

 

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89 responses »

  1. Well, that should explain a few things concerning me. I absolutely CANNOT watch anything scary, bloody, violent, hence I cannot burn any calories that way. (Gets up and walks to the kitchen….) I’m even hitting the ceiling when HH enters the room silently and suddenly speaks to me. Actually, THAT should burn a bunch of calories!

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  6. I like watching horror films, so this amused me. I am not in the demographic though, as I never eat popcorn when watching, and have never once screamed at a film of that type. I prefer more pyschologically disturbing films, so highly recommend the original Japanese version of ‘Ringu'(1998) and my top tip is the original version of the European film ‘Martyrs’, from 2008.

    Best wishes, Pete.

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  15. I don’t watch scary movies, but I would have a bigger problem with this diet plan… after all that fight or flight surges through my body, and I survive, I would truly believe I need (and deserve) a calorie indulgence. I think calming my nerves would put me out of my deficit in a real hurry! Haha!

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  19. I love this and the two films mentioned, The Exorcist and Alien, are indeed two of the most intense movie-going experiences – and both quite brilliant as well! I’m not going to run today, instead I will just watch a scary movie or two!

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  24. I watched a horror movie last night and lemme tell you, I am POSITIVE I burnt off a good amount of calories! It’s not my favourite genre but it as additional exercise. Plus, I had gone out for a friend’s birthday supper so I figured the extra burn was to my benefit!

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  25. I have difficulty with horror movies. I managed to see Silence of the Lambs only by watching it in portions. I remember when The Amityville Horror was in the theaters. Near the very beginning, a voice repeats, “Get out. Get out.” I looked at my friend and she looked at me, and we both got up and walked out of the theater. With one of the Jason movies that I watched at a friend’s house, I made her follow me home to my apartment and go inside, then look in every closet, under every bed, behind the shower curtain and around any shadowy corners before I’d even go in. And yes, I slept with all of the lights on that night!

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  31. hahaha; the opening ten or so minutes of the original ‘Scream’ are the best opening scene of Any movie I’ve even seen; I’ve watched it so many times and never get tired of it : it is a highly effective slice of cinema —

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