In order to help our bodies generate heat when we’re cold, we involuntarily shiver. Surprisingly, shivering also has a secondary good effect on our bodies — it burns calories, and potentially fat. With that in mind, a question emerges: can we lose weight by shivering?
Listen beautiful relax classics on our Youtube channel.
It almost sounds like a pitch from an informercial, but it’s true: one study from 2014 found that just 15 minutes of shivering might provide similar fat-burning benefits as a full hour of moderate exercise. Our instinctive response to the cold helps stimulate a key hormone called irisin that helps the body produce a specific type of fat conducive to weight loss.
However, being cold does not necessarily translate to losing weight, and if you’re thinking of just shivering your way to weight loss instead of working out, it won’t have the same long-lasting effects on your metabolism compared to “regular trips to the gym”.
More details about this over at Discover.
(Image Credit: JillWellington/ Pixabay)
Source: neatorama