According to new research, drinking a glass of red wine is just as beneficial for your heart as going to the gym.

The Science: The compound resveratrol, found in red wine, is said to enhance your performance and improves heart function to the same extent that a work out would induce according to research from the University of Alberta published in the Journal of Physiology. The medical team at the university saw a vast improvement in muscle strength and physical performance in subjects after drinking red wine.

Jason Dyck, Principal Investigator at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Pharmacology,  says: “We were excited when we saw that resveratrol showed results similar to what you would see from extensive endurance exercise training. I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do.”

Dyck and his team have begun a further investigation into the effects of resveratrol on diabetics with heart failure. So you can ditch the gym membership and stock up on wine.

My workout? Lifting my glass and walking to the next bar…

If you want to read how to drink like an absolute pro, check out this blog post.