Ministry of Silly Walks had serious health upside, US researchers say
More than fifty years after Monty Python’s hilarious skit first aired, researchers have found the comedian’s silly walk is equivalent to a high intensity workout
You may look ridiculous, but research suggests that employing one of Monty Python’s ‘silly walks’ is a simple way to turn a stroll into a high intensity workout.
The Python-inspired study concluded that imitating John Cleese’s iconic ‘Mr Teabag’ walk burned energy 2.5 times faster than typical, non-silly walking styles.
Using the gait for just 11 minutes a day could help patients meet recommended exercise goals of 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, according to the US authors.
“Our study used indirect calorimetry to look at an important public health issue — how to remedy the high global prevalence of physical inactivity,” they wrote in the BMJ holiday edition.
