Work Out While Watching TV

Watching television has recently been pinpointed as one of the reasons for people’s constantly expanding waistline. That’s because a sedentary lifestyle never really helps anyone, and the lure of the TV tends to encourage mindless munching. Just think of how many times you’ve watched your favorite shows or had a DVD marathon and you were accompanied by a bowl of popcorn or a huge bag of chips. Definitely the formula for instant weight gain.

That’s why people are generally told to watch only a few hours of TV a day, because the temptation is just too strong sometimes. However, if you can’t tear yourself away from your TV, then it might help if you rethink your activities while watching your shows. Instead of sitting down with a bowl of snacks, it would be a good idea for you to sneak in some workouts. You don’t have to do anything complicated. You can do a few sets of arm curls with weights while watching, as well as mountain climbers and ab crunches.

Alternatively, you can also use fitness equipment. You can easily get a good level of cardio and leg workouts on your recumbent stepper during a whole hour of “Fringe.” The machine is extremely easy to use and the position will let you face the TV comfortably while you work your legs. You can also cycle on your stationary bike while watching a half-hour sitcom, or walk on the treadmill, working up to a run during commercial breaks.  A few good brands are the Healthrider recumbent exercise bike and the Weslo recumbent bike.

Watching TV doesn’t have to be a route to obesity, not unless you realize that it’s actually the perfect opportunity for you to exercise. You won’t be bored during your workout because your show will keep you occupied and entertained, and before you know it, a whole hour or half-hour would have already gone by–and you just gave yourself a great workout. Just make sure not to stop for snacks in the middle of it.