Get fit while watching TV. Sure, we all like to spend a Sunday afternoon here or there on the couch watching TV. Oh who am I kidding, how many hours have we all spend binge watching our favourite shows? We think we are going to sit down for just one episode and suddenly 6 hours have passed. Now chances are that kind of day or evening will happen more often than we’d like to admit, but just so that it’s not a total waste I’ve put together a fun workout which you can spread out over the course of the day.

GET FIT WHILE WATCHING TV

STRETCHING

Hamstring. Lying on your back, place your right foot in a band or yoga strap. Gently pull your leg up toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch and hold for 20-30 seconds. If you are fairly flexible then lengthen your left leg on the floor. The other option is to keep your left knee bent while you keep your foot flat on the floor.

Side stretch. In a seated position, reach one arm overhead and go into a nice deep side stretch. Hold for about 10 seconds and repeat on the other side. There are many ways to twist your spine, but since you are in TV mode, start lying flat on your back. Bend your knees and let them fall to one side while your torso remains still. You should feel a great release in your lower back.

EXERCISES

Plank. A plank can be done in two ways. You’ll either have your hands on the floor directly below your shoulder (classic push up position), or if that’s too much weight on your wrists then simply rest on your forearms. Have the feeling that your head is lengthening away from your heels. Keeping your abdominals engaged, try not to tense up your body. Work your way up to holding this position for 60 seconds.

Squats. Give those glutes a burn a with a classic squat (you can also to this with your back against the wall). Standing with your feet flat on the floor, toes pointed forward and a little bit wider than hip width apart, bend your knees without collapsing your body or lifting your heels off the floor. Go as low as you can and repeat 15x. Now turn your toes slightly out and repeat another 15x.

Bicycle.  Start lying on your back, hands behind your head, legs bent and lifted off the floor at 90 degrees. Inhale and as you exhale, curl your torso off the floor rotating your upper body to the left while straightening your right leg. Keep your upper body off the floor and alternate sides. Another option is holding a ball between your legs, straightening them as you rotate your torso from side to side. What to remember: keep your shoulders down and elbows wide and never pull on your head/neck. Your hands are there for support only.

Push ups.  Push ups are such a fabulous exercise for toning the whole body quickly and effectively. Remember to go slow, breathe and when you absolutely can’t do another one, drop your knees to the floor and continue. Do as many as you can.

Explosive lunges. Starting in a lunge position, push off your front or back foot and come into a balance, then hold it for 10 seconds and return to the start. Do 15 reps on each leg. If you need more of a challenge, try standing on an uneven surface with the working leg.

Crunches. I’m usually not a big fan of standard crunches, but in this case they work because you’ll probably be sneaking glances at your tv anyway.  On your back, feet flat on the floor hip distance apart, place your hands behind your head and curl your shoulders a few inches off the floor. Hold for a second, do 10 small pulses and return to your start position. Do this 10x.  What to remember: think about maintaining a neutral spine. What this means is that you want to replicate (with your spine) the same position you would have if you were standing up.  Make sure that your glutes and quads are relaxed and that you are not tensing them as you curl up.

Depending on how long you are planning to relax in front of the TV, pick 3 of these and cycle through them on commercial breaks or during the credits if you are streaming your shows. If you are planning on binge watching then why not try all of them, one by one?

Do you ever workout while watching TV?

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