Watching the Olympics can help you lose weight

One might think watching Olympics on TV and munching snacks on the couch is an activity doomed to add extra pounds.

However, a recent study from Loughborough University suggests that watching the Olympics can, in fact, help you lose weight. Yes, couch potatoes can actually burn up to 540 calories over a 90-minute period just by watching their favorite sports.

The Power of Celebration

The research was led by Dr. Dale Eslinger, a sports scientist affiliated with Loughborough University. He collaborated with a team from EDF, which commissioned the research to explore the health benefits of watching sports on TV.

The researchers have developed a unique formula called “The Power of Celebration.” According to this formula, burning calories while watching TV majorly depends on five crucial factors which include your body weight, how you watch sport, the baseline time, the celebration intensity, and the celebration time.

Burning calories while watching Olympics

Dr. Eslinger’s research shows that if you’re a football fan weighing 176lbs (80kg) and spend a 90-minute match sitting and fidgeting, reacting enthusiastically to goals or fouls, you could burn 540 calories. That’s roughly equivalent to a 45-minute run.

The study also reveals that the type of sport you watch also makes a difference. A tennis fan watching a 3-hour match, while sitting and talking, and celebrating moderately by clapping and cheering often, can burn up to 432 calories. This equates to an hour-long swim.

The same goes for athletics fans. While sitting and reacting moderately for an hour, like jumping to their feet and pacing a quarter of the time, they can burn 162 calories. It’s almost the same as going for a brisk 30-minute walk.

Sports with low reactions

And it’s not just the high-adrenaline sports. An hour’s worth of archery, with sitting and reacting moderately, can burn up to 106 calories. That’s equivalent to a quick 15-minute cycling session.

“Watching sport is positively associated with well-being and vitality. By combining how we watch sport with the intensity of our celebrations, including factors like body weight and overall duration, the innovative ‘Power of Celebration’ formula allows sports fans to quantify their own energy expenditure while enjoying the excitement of the games,” said Dr. Eslinger.

The psychology of sport viewing

Engaging in sports viewing is not just a passive experience; it stimulates our minds and emotions. The enthusiasm generated by cheering for a favorite team or player can enhance social connections, whether with family members, friends, or fellow fans across the globe.

This shared experience often leads to discussions, celebrations, and even debates, all of which contribute significantly to mental stimulation and emotional well-being.

Understanding this phenomenon offers insight into how our engagement with sports can serve as a powerful tool for fostering social bonds and enhancing interpersonal relationships, thereby enriching our lives beyond the confines of mere entertainment.

Olympics watching strategies

Given the enlightening findings from Dr. Eslinger’s research, fans may wish to adopt “active viewing” strategies to maximize their calorie burn while enjoying their favorite sports.

To do this, viewers can incorporate movements during key moments of the game – standing up during goals, performing cheers or even light exercises during slower gameplay, or engaging others in celebratory dances.

Additionally, having viewing parties could amplify the excitement and encourage more enthusiastic reactions, thereby increasing both enjoyment and caloric expenditure.

By adopting these strategies, fans not only enliven their viewing experiences but also contribute to their overall physical activity levels, merging leisure with health benefits.

Looking beyond: Gaming and calories

Watching sports isn’t the only passive activity that can help you lose weight. The gaming world is also making its mark.

A study by Stakester found that playing video games can burn a significant amount of calories. Male gamers can burn roughly 420 calories over a two-hour gaming session, while female gamers can burn up to 472 calories. Believe it, or not, that’s the same as doing 1,000 sit-ups!

“Competition increases our heart rate, and most of us have experienced ‘gaming sweat’ that happens when you’re searching for a last-minute goal in FIFA or in a tight spot in Warzone,” noted Tom Fairey, CEO and founder of Stakester.

“It’s no surprise that this burns calories, but we were surprised to see just how many are burned during a 2-hour session, it certainly beats doing 1,000 sit ups.”

In conclusion, leisure activities like watching sports or playing video games are not just thrilling but may also be secretly burning calories.

So, next time you’re enjoying the sweat and struggle of athletes on-screen, remember you might be in for a bit of a workout yourself! Now isn’t that something to cheer about?

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