• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • BDO TV
  • Find A Doctor
  • Subscribe
Home / Wellness / Weight Loss / True Or False: Watch A Horror Movie, Lose Weight?

True Or False: Watch A Horror Movie, Lose Weight?

scared man biting nails
Weight loss is tough. You try to eat right, try to get to the gym, but you’re still disappointed every time you step on the scale. Well, there could be an easier way. According to research, you might be able to burn calories and shed a few pounds just by sitting on the couch and watching scary movies.

New research by the University of Westminster reveals watching 90 minutes of an adrenaline-inducing movie can burn an average of 113 calories, about the equivalent of what would be melted during a 30-minute walk. The scarier the movie, the more calories burned.

The study measured the total energy expenditure of ten different people as they watched a selection of frightening movies.

Scientists recorded their heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output – and discovered the number of calories used increased by on average a third during the films.

You May Also Like
15 Natural Remedies for Aches and Pains
(Photo credit: YouTube screenshot)

The research also revealed films featuring moments designed to make viewers jump in terror are the best calorie-burners, as they cause heart rates to soar.

Dr Richard Mackenzie, senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the University of Westminster, said: “Each of the ten films tested set pulses racing, sparking an increase in the heart rate of the case studies.

“As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline.

“It is this release of fast acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or in this case, brought on by fear), which is known to lower the appetite, increase the Basal Metabolic Rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories.”

You May Also Like
Bacon and other meats May Increase Your Risk for This Lung Disease

Researchers showed study participants notorious scary movies and monitored their heart rate, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output. According to researchers, the heart rate spikes while watching a frightening film and creates a surge of adrenaline.

The top 10 calorie-burning frightening films were:

1. The Shining: 184 calories

2. Jaws: 161 calories

3. The Exorcist: 158 calories

4. Alien: 152 calories

5. Saw: 133 calories

Continue Reading

The Latest In Weight Loss

life after 40

5 Steps To Fabulous After 40: It Can Be You!

For women, life after 40 can be an uncertain maze of emotional peaks and valleys - riddled with the physical changes that threaten the most toned of bodies and long-held notions of fabulosity. But an increasing number of high-powered women read more about 5 Steps To Fabulous After 40: It Can Be You!
morning routine

5 Ways To Make Your Morning Routine A Workout

Having trouble finding time to fit a quick workout into your daily routine? Working out while you get ready in the morning may just be your solution! Well, this may not be a full-fledged alternative, but it certainly can fill read more about 5 Ways To Make Your Morning Routine A Workout
summer body

Spring Training: 7 Ways To Get Fit For Summer

In case you haven’t noticed, summer will be here any minute and right about now, you’re probably panicking because those last pesky 10 or 20 pounds still haven’t melted off yet and are interfering with your summer body. Not to read more about Spring Training: 7 Ways To Get Fit For Summer
Beyonce

Beyoncé’s Top 7 Workout Secrets

Even though Beyoncé has chart-topping records and has received countless awards, she actually still gets nervous before a performance, and is sometimes self-conscious about how she looks on stage. In order to get ready for each grueling performance, she prepares for read more about Beyoncé’s Top 7 Workout Secrets
sleep

How a Lack of Sleep Can Widen Your Waistline

People who choose to skip sleep to study, work or play late into the night may find they've extended not just their waking hours but also their tummies. Less sleep means more eating A small new study found that the read more about How a Lack of Sleep Can Widen Your Waistline
how to lose weight fast

Three Things That Keep Us From Faster Weight Loss

Everyone wants to know the secret to losing weight faster. While some have found small successes here and there, many are missing the point: which is it doesn't always work, all the time. Even if something started to work, your read more about Three Things That Keep Us From Faster Weight Loss

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • The McGhee Sextuplets: A Family Built On LoveThe McGhee Sextuplets: A Family Built On Love
  • Reality Star Hospitalized After Major Car Accident: “Unresponsive, But Stable”Reality Star Hospitalized After Major Car Accident: "Unresponsive, But Stable"
  • Top 3 Mistakes Cooking Salmon (You Should Never Make Again)Top 3 Mistakes Cooking Salmon (You Should Never Make Again)
  • Aleisha Allen: From Actress to Speech PathologistAleisha Allen: From Actress to Speech Pathologist
  • David And Tamela Mann On 34 Years Of Marriage: “I’ve Found A Good Thing”David And Tamela Mann On 34 Years Of Marriage: "I've Found A Good Thing"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2022, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.