Horror movies are a Halloween staple–and they’re good for more than just chills and thrills. Turns out your favorite scary flick may help you burn calories, too.
According to a new study from the University of Westminster, the sudden scares in frightening movies can raise a viewer’s heart rate, which helps burn calories.
Researchers recorded participants’ heart rates, oxygen intake and carbon dioxide outputs while they viewed certain films. The people watching scary movies burned twice as many calories on average as the people watching movies that didn’t get their hearts pumping.
The more the movie makes you jump, the more likely you are to see a boost in heart rate and calorie burn. “As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline,” Richard Mackenzie, PhD, a senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the University of Westminster told The Telegraph. “It is this release of fast acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress, which is known to lower the appetite, increase the Basal Metabolic Rate, and ultimately burn a higher level of calories,” he said.
Before you go on the horror flick diet, however, it’s worth noting that simply sitting still for an hour and a half will burn around 100 calories (burning calories just by existing is referred to as the basal metabolic rate). So freaking yourself out won’t make up for all the extra Halloween candy you eat around this time of year. Still—fifty or so extra calories burned is better than nothing.
Wondering which flick will give you the best burn for your buck? Fire up one of these spooky motion pictures and feel less guilty about that extra handful of popcorn:
1. The Shining: 184 calories
2. Jaws: 161 calories
3. The Exorcist: 158 calories
4. Alien: 152 calories
5. Saw: 133 calories
More from WH:
The Hunger Paradox: Calories In VS Calories Burned
Fat-Burning Workout Routine
Eat This, Not That: Movie Theater Snacks