Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply be in front of your TV and burn some
calories? Getting fit while you watch TV isn’t actually an impossible dream believe it or
not!
There are some things you can do but some of them don’t actually involve sitting
(some of them do though!) but you can enjoy doing a number of different movements without having to miss out on your favorite shows! Sometimes, you can even use the TV as a source of exercise!
HIIT Cardio
After you have done HIIT cardio during the day you can enjoy kicking back, relaxing and burning calories whilst you watch your favorite shows! High intensity interval training is an excellent way to burn calories long after you have finished actually moving. HIIT cardio involves a series of slow and steady intervals mixed in with some explosive fast-paced intervals. You can perform HIIT on any piece of cardio equipment such as a treadmill, a bike or a rowing machine to name but a few. You can also perform it out in the open running, walking or cycling. You will perform a 30 second steady state interval then immediately follow it with a 30 second sprint and then continue the pattern until you have completed a total of 15-20 minutes continuous movement. Because HIIT cardio elevates your heart rate it requires more oxygen post-workout to return your body to normal meaning you will continue to burn calories long after you have finished the workout.
Invest in a good exercise DVD
Exercise and fitness DVD’s are an excellent way to keep fit in the comfort of your own home. There are so many different ones to choose from dance DVD’s, to Plyometrics, full body circuits, boxing and everything in between. You can also enjoy exercise sessions with your favorite celebrities so you have no excuse not to get moving! DVD’s are an excellent choice for busy moms especially when time isn’t on your side!
TV Character fun
Here’s one to get you moving while you are watching TV. There’s nothing wrong with mixing things up a bit and having some real fun when you are watching your favorite show. In fact, it’s a great way to burn through some serious calories!
All you need to do is select a character or person and pair them with an exercise.
So, every time you see your selected character you have to do say squat jumps
for as long as they are on screen until they disappear again. Plyometric-based movements are usually best for this type of home workout! So it’s sort of like a drinking game, but instead of taking a drink every time the character does something, you do a workout set!
A movie exercise session
This is the perfect way to enjoy a bit of steady state home cardio – All you will
need for this is a piece of indoor cardio equipment be it a bike, stepper, treadmill
or anything else you fancy. Put on your movie; position the cardio in front of the screen and away you go! You can keep your brain occupied while you burn away that fat! You can stay active for the whole movie if you like or split it up or do it for half the movie – whatever you choose!
Circuit training
Hopefully you have a decent size room space because you can benefit greatly
from setting yourself up with a nice indoor circuit. You don’t need heaps of space to do this at all. Wherever your TV is you can set up mini “stations” that you go to in order to perform your specific cardio routines while your favourite movie or show is on. You can have a number of different stations such as a skipping rope, a squat jump station, and a press up station. You can even have equipment-based stations and use dumbbells, exercise/medicine balls, kettle bells or steps to enhance that resistance and get your heart rate up – all while you enjoy a good bit of TV!
Hopefully you now realize that there’s never any excuse to miss your favorite TV
show and sacrifice your exercise session! Where there’s a will there’s a way and a number of these ways are actually pretty fun! Invite a friend over or share your space with a loved one and make exercising and watching TV fun!