A British study found that watching a movie in theaters can be as beneficial as doing a light exercise.
It became clear to researchers at the University of London, UK, that when you spend about 45 minutes in a theater, your heart rate increases by the same amount as you increase during light cardio exercises.
In a study published by the website of the British Daily Mail newspaper, the researchers said that the body reacts and stimulates after the brain becomes engrossed in the film and that this long period of focus has benefits for the mind.
They added that frequenting theaters can boost focus and memory by focusing on one thing for a very long time instead of switching between multiple devices such as a smartphone, tablet and TV when watching a movie at home.
And 51 people who watched a movie were compared to a group of 26 people who spent the same time reading. The study found that movie-goers spent about 45 minutes in a "healthy heart area", with the number of hearts striking between 40 and 80 percent of its maximum rate.
For a person in his thirties, the number of heart beats can reach between 95 and 160 per minute. A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
The researchers said the same effect could be achieved by doing light cardiovascular exercises, such as brisk walking or gardening.
