Healthy Activities

12 Health Benefits of Watching Horror Movies (No.6 Insane)

Based on the experts, making out with sexual partner (burns 144 calories) per half hour. But the study done by the University of Westminster about burning calorie is quite surprising. It says that watching horror movies burns nearly 200 calories a time. It perhaps one of the most entertaining ways to lose calories.

10 Top Horror Movies that Burns Our Calorie:

  • The Shining : 184 calorie.
  • Jaws : 161 calorie.
  • The Exorcist : 158 calorie.
  • Alien : 152 calorie.
  • Saw : 133 calorie.
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street : 118 calorie.
  • Paranormal Activity : 111 calorie.
  • The Blair Witch Project : 105 calorie.
  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre : 107 calorie.
  • (Rec) : 101 calorie.

12 Benefits of Watching Horror Movies for Our Health:

1. Giving the Calming Effect:

In several ways, somehow horror movies give such a calming effect. Even though the plot sometimes is unclear, uncertain and makes us stress, the uncertainty will give us ways to overcome the stress in our life. Watching horror movie works like a distraction to forget our problem and recklessness in our real life.

2. Adrenaline Rush.

When we are stress, we sometimes need to pump our adrenaline. The medical experts believe that watching horror movies can pump the adrenaline to our body. The emotion enthusiasm and uncertainty will activate our adrenal gland to pump adrenaline. As a result, the energy will come out and release substances that will bring good mood to our brain.

3. Good for Our Brain (Especially Women Brain).

Watching horror movie gives significant positive benefit for our brain. Our up and down emotion while watching horror movie can release good substances in our brain,such as dopamine, serotonin and glutamate. These substances create adrenaline that acts like an injection for our body.

An injection that reduces the stress and restless. Based on the research, while women watch horror movie, their brain releases neurotransmitter dopamine, glutamate and serotonin which eventually increase their brain activity and make them alert for a while.

4. Making Us Ready to Face the Reality.

Horror movie can help us to prepare ourselves mentally and physically to face sudden issue. We can apply them in our real life. We will be more aware in our surrounding, for example we can anticipate dangerous things in our life. When we think that we are in danger, we automatically will think about how to defense ourselves. Horror movies gives you the idea of how to defeat bad guys.

5. Sharing Emotion.

Watching horror movies is good for couple since they can share their fear. We can hug our couple when we watch scary scene. Hugging helps us releasing our emotion that burdens us.

6. Burning Our Calorie.

Based on the study done in Westminster University found that 90 minutes adrenalin that is pumped into our body can burn 113 calorie. Horror movie can make our pulse beating faster and our pumped blood burn the calorie. It is the same as one hour walking. The calorie releases when watching horror movie is the same calorie in a bar of chocolate.

7. Increasing Our Immune System.

After watching horror movie for one and half hour, our body system will calm and our immune system will become stronger. This is the time when our immunity system stronger for a while. Based on the research, our brain work will increase because it releases substances like dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin. Thus, our brain will be alert for a while.

8. Reducing Stress.

Even though at some points watching horror movies make us stress but it somehow helps us in reducing the stress level because of the problems in our real life. Adrenaline pumping while watching horror movie is good for resisting stress. Pumped adrenaline will activate our adrenal gland. It helps us to avoid anxiety and depression.

9. Good for Our DNA. 

Watching horror movie can stimulate and trigger our DNA because we have to deal with situations that may frighten us in which we rarely face in the reality. For some people watching horror movie can create their level of confidence and their emotion in some areas of their life is more clear.

10. Making Us Healthier.

If we like to watch horror movie, our heart activity tend to be active as if we are running so that our heart has higher activity. As a result, our blood flows smoothly and we will become healthier.

11. Healing Phobia.

Horror movie is proven effective to heal fear or certain phobia. Therapists often use horror movie to help people to face their fear or phobia.

12. Reducing Weight.

Watching horror movie raises our heart beat. As a result, the activity of blood pumping to our body raise as well. Because our adrenaline automatically increases, our appetite decreases. That condition triggers our body to burn more calories.

Apart of the benefits of watching horror movie for our health, it gives disadvantages, too.

6 Negative Side Effects of Watching Horror Movie for Our Health:

1. Making Our Blood Thick.

The experts say that watching horror movie make our blood thick. When our body experience extreme fear, our blood will be thicker. This is not good for our health. The study is done to 25 years old people and 30 years old people. Some of them are asked to watch horror movie then drama movie. Meanwhile, the others are asked to watch drama movie then horror movie.

Before they watch, their blood sample are collected. After watching, the experts take the blood sample again. The result shows that people who watch horror movie have thicker blood. Meanwhile, people who watch a drama movie have a normal blood.

2. Causing Blood Coagulation. 

Medical experts say that watching horror movie can cause coagulation. Therefore, they recommend not to watch scary movie. However, if we like to watch horror movie, they suggest us not to watch it alone because it gives dangerous effect which might lead to death. Keeping this blood coagulation increases the health risk, especially with cardiovascular disease.

3. Sleeplessness.

People may have trouble in sleeping after watching horror movie. Especially if there are scenes in that horror movie that trigger their past trauma. Thus, horror movie makes people lost their sleeping quality because they keep toss fitfully all night.

4. Triggering Excessive Fear.

If we have certain trauma in the past, we will become more stressful after watching horror movie. Horrro movie can trigger panic attack and remind us to our past trauma.  The situation in horror movie can also influence our mood and psychological condition. Thus, if we feel easily worry when watching horror movie, we should avoid watching it in order not to experience excessive fear.

5. Easily Shocked.

If we like to watch horror movies that involves scene full of blood, we sometimes think that this is one of the ways to solve problem. That is why horror movie often said can change people’s personality because they think that violent is the best way to solve the conflict.

6. Influencing Our Reflect.

Horror movie can influence our reflect. We will easily shocked when we face the shocking situation because they are accustomed to high level of anxiety.

To avoid excessive fear while watching horror movie, we should know the watching tips:

5 Tips of Watching Horror Movies:

  • Watch During the Day. One of the best time to watch horror movie is during the day since we can avoid the goose-bump.
  • Dim the TV Light. The purpose to dim the light of the TV is to minimize our shocked when there is a frightening appearance.
  • Lower Down the Volume. Lowering down the volume of the TV will avoid our heart from beating faster. The lower the volume, the better it will be.
  • Adjust the TV Position. The position of the TV influences the frightening effect of the movie we are watching. Place the TV not exactly in front of our seat or a bit in our sideways.
  • Work on Another Activity while the Movie is On. Playing a game in our smartphone while watching horror movie is a good idea to minimize the fear.
Even though watching horror brings us numerous benefits, we should be aware of the negative effect they offer.