Recent studies of shown that the average American watches over five hours of TV per day. There are ways to not be so much of a couch potato.
Try these suggestions to help you burn calories at the same time you watch TV.
Have equipment with you. Whatever you use, weights, bands DVD's, whatever. Keep them nearby by your television in a stand so you can grab them quickly while watching TV. Another great idea if you have the room is to put a stationary bike or elliptical trainer in the same room in front of the TV.
Make wise use of commercials. If you get up off the couch and just move during the breaks, your daily exercise minutes will add up rather quickly. You can also create games and competitions. For example, see you many pushups, sit ups, jumping jacks you can squeeze in during each commercial break and try and beat your numbers from last time.
Utilize a pedometer or body bugg. Jog in place during throughout the show or just during the commercials and see how many steps you end up taking. If jogging is not your thing, try shadow boxing or just simply sit on a stability ball. These large balls will help to improve your posture as well as working your abs instead of flabbing yourself away on the couch. You can usually find these at large stores such as Target, Wal-Mart or any major sporting goods store.
Locate your favorite music channel and groove away! The important thing to remember is to just keep your body moving. When you are constantly moving throughout the day, you are constantly burning calories. Shake your legs, tap your feet and rotate your arms and torso.
You can also score points with your spouse and do quick household chores during the commercial breaks.
So you see, with a little ingenuity and creativity you can take a little bit of your spare entertainment time and use it to burn calories as well.
