Here’s something for everyone that has been working out super hard since New Year’s Day. It turns out you’ve been wasting your money on a gym membership when you could have been spending it on movie tickets instead.
Wait, what?
According to scientists from University College London, going to see a movie could be as good for your health as some light cardio at the gym. Their studies show watching a film is good for your heart health, memory, and concentration. And it’s a lot easier than burpees.
For their study, the researchers monitored the heart rate, body temperature, and skin reactions of 51 people watching Disney’s live-action version of Aladdin. They discovered their heart rates entered the “healthy heart zone” for around 45 minutes during the movie which means they got the health benefits equivalent of a not-so brisk walk.
Ready to do a home workout aka doing some Netflixing? Not so fast! That’s not going to work. Apparently, you’ll only get the health benefits from a trip to the theater. Our brains need to experience the “undivided attention” that a dark theater provides and your combination of couch and cell phone are lacking.
