Watching one horror movie burns as many calories as a 30 minute walk

If you weren't a fan of horror movies before, you might be now that research has found they can burn as many calories as exercising.

One study conducted at the University of Westminster found that watching a 90-minute horror movie can help you burn around 150 calories on average - the same as going for a 30 minute walk or a quick jog.

The study, funded by the rental company LoveFilm, sampled 10 participants who watched 10 different horror movies.

Watching one horror movie can burn up around 150 calories / photoschmidt / Getty

Researchers found that watching the scary movies increased the heart rate and metabolism of the participants, resulting in more calories burned.

Although the amount of calories burned varied among the participants, as did the scariness of the movie, the overall consensus was that the scarier the movie, the more calories burned.

Dr Richard Mackenzie, senior lecturer and specialist in cell metabolism and physiology at the university, said: 'Each of the 10 films tested set pulses racing, sparking an increase in the heart rate of the case studies.

'As the pulse quickens and blood pumps around the body faster, the body experiences a surge in adrenaline. It is this release of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or in this case, brought on by fear), which is known to lower the appetite, increase the basal metabolic rate and ultimately burn a higher level of calories.'

The researchers ranked the movies in order of scariness and most calories burned.

If you've seen any of these movies, you'll know they have multiple jump scares which caused the viewers' heart rate and adrenaline to peak.

The Shining was rated the scariest movie, with the most calories burned / Xavier Lorenzo / Getty

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining came out on top burning a total of 184 calories.

Jaws came in second burning 161 calories, followed closely by The Exorcist in third which burned 158 calories.

Some other horror movies that made the list were Saw (133), A Nightmare on Elm Street (118), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (107).

LoveFilm editor Helen Cowley commented on the study: 'We all know the feeling of wanting to hide behind the sofa or grab a pillow when watching scary or hair-raising scenes.'

'But this research suggests that maybe those seeking to burn some calories should keep their eyes on the screen.'

If you're not a horror movie buff though, don't worry.

Another study found that laughter can also help increase energy expenditure, burning between 2-10 calories for every 10-15 minutes of genuine laughter. So comedy lovers won't miss out!