Watching Sports Is Almost as Much of a Workout as Playing Sports?
By Hope Bidegainberry on August 16, 2019
Go ahead and refer to your favorite teams as “we” and “us.” “We’re going to win the Super Bowl this year.” “Our team got great pitching at the deadline.” “We’ve got a hell of a big three: LeBron, Anthony Davis, and me.”
Because according to a new study, WATCHING sports is almost as much of a workout as PLAYING sports. Although we use the term “almost” kind of loosely.
Researchers at the University of Leeds in England found that when passionate fans watched their team play in important games, their heart rates were about 64% higher than normal.
That’s about the same increase as you’d get from a brisk 90-minute walk. Quote, “Ultimately supporting your team . . . gives you a moderate cardiovascular workout.”
And when their team won, the fans’ blood pressure went down and they got a psychological boost that lasted for a day.
Unfortunately, when the team lost, it had the opposite effect . . . and people felt as depressed as they would if someone close to them DIED.
