Traditionally, researchers do not escape the Christmas spirit either.

Studies are therefore published every year with supposedly festive – and more or less meaningful – questions.

What does snow look like under the electron microscope?

How does gingerbread affect the intestinal flora?

As if you weren't already oversaturated with "Last Christmas" on a continuous loop, buying gifts and over-the-top decorated pedestrian zones.

Scientists from the University of Loughborough are now taking it to the extreme with a Christmas sports program that they are presenting in the “BMJ”.

Johanna Kuroczik

Editor in the "Science" department of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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107 sedentary adults took part, almost all middle-aged women.

Two-thirds received an email every day from December 1 to 24, 2021 with a "Christmas" exercise, each with three possible intensity levels: In the "Simple Elf" category, three Christmas carols were used in the "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" category to dance.

Four Christmas carols had to be rocked through for "Moderate Mrs. Santa Claus" and five for "Exhausting Santa Claus", the hardest level.

The exercises weren't new, jumping jacks and the like were just renamed.

Jumping rope became "Ho Ho Hopping" and sit-ups became "Abs Santa".

On Christmas Eve, there were 30 flights of stairs to climb.

Such interventions are necessary, the researchers warn, because Christmas is a health hazard:

People gain 400 to 900 grams on average, and they are also inactive.

You're right of course, dear Loughborough sports scientists, but relaxation and gluttony are the only things that make Christmas bearable.

A tough year full of crises, war and the Qatar World Cup is behind us.

Finally, we want to be able to lounge on the sofa with biscuits and not do a Christmas jumping jack.

And after one or two mugs of mulled wine, you can dance to "Last Christmas" anyway.

Finally, we want to be able to lounge on the sofa with biscuits and not do a Christmas jumping jack.

And after one or two mugs of mulled wine, you can dance to "Last Christmas" anyway.

Finally, we want to be able to lounge on the sofa with biscuits and not do a Christmas jumping jack.

And after one or two mugs of mulled wine, you can dance to "Last Christmas" anyway.

Incidentally, the sports advent calendar had little effect.

The subjects exercised more than the control group in just one week, a miserable 20 minutes.

Nevertheless, most of them stated that they found the program good.

Maybe they were caught up in the spirit of Christmas and wanted to make the researchers happy.