‘Silly Walks’ from Monty Python’s Flying Circus found to have serious health benefits

Researchers have discovered that the ‘Silly Walks‘ with the kicks, squats, twists and exaggerated strides shown in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, is actually a good workout. Scientists used metabolic measurement apparatus on volunteers who recreated the silly walks, or what in technical parlance is described as ‘low efficiency walking‘, which included recreating the specific walks used in the series. They found that the comedic gaits more than doubled the energy expenditure of those taking a regular stroll. For a large number of people, the silly walks would qualify as a vigorous exercise or a high-intensity workout, and would improve their cardiorespiratory fitness. 

The best thing is that the workout has health benefits for onlookers as well. Physiologist and kinesiologist Siddhartha Angadi says, “Inefficiency promotes effort maximization. The advantage of walking Teabag-style is that you can hit American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for vigorous activity with as little as 11 minutes per day. Inefficiency à la Monty Python has the added benefit that it’s hilarious for the onlooker, too. Laughter is terrific medicine and has been shown to lower blood pressure, [and] improve vascular function, pain tolerance and vascular stiffness. What other public health intervention can boast of healthful effects in the user and the non-user?” 

The researchers found that the recommended daily levels of physical activity could be met in under eleven minutes a day, by simply doing a silly walk instead of taking a regular walk. The silly walks allows people to meet the same amount of exertion as 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of rigorous exercises every week. The researchers do emphasise that safety should be a priority, and to push the body only within the limits of comfortable movement.

A paper describing the findings has been published in the The BJM.