Are you on your couch more than you’re at the gym, but wish you weren’t?
Yea, me too. Sometimes, life needs to be as easy as possible in order for us to do the bare minimum. Enter this fast and easy workout you can do at home while you watch TV. You can even do it in your pajamas! Seriously. No excuses.
If you ever needed to start somewhere, this is the place to start.
There’s minimal sweating, you can keep your slippers on, and you get to take a lot of breaks. What’s not to like? It’s a win for everyone.
This is, by no stretch of the imagination, a full body, high intensity workout. What this is designed to be, is a start.
A brand new, I’m-not-ready-for-the-gym-because-I’m-too-tired (or lazy or nervous) kind of start.
So here’s what you do.
Once you’re home, get comfortable. Change your clothes if you want. Put on something you can move in but doesn’t take too much effort to get together. This is supposed to be easy, remember?
STEP 1
Turn on live TV. Something with commercials. Now isn’t the time for Netflix or that movie you’ve been waiting to watch. We want ads. I love a good Law and Order marathon, but anything will do.
STEP 2
Watch TV and wait for the commercials.
STEP 3
When a set of commercials come on, you stand up. Yup! Here we go! You stand up, feet shoulder width apart and for the length of that commercial, you do squats. Stop when the commercial stops.
STEP 4
Step in place with high knees for the length of the next commercial.
Jog in place, if you’re really ready to kill it.
STEP 5
At the next commercial, you do another set of squats.
Once the commercial break is over, you’re back on the couch until the next set of ads appears.
Do this for an hour show and you’ll have managed about 10 sets of squats. Do 15 squats at each set, and you’ll have rocked 150 squats just watching TV.
That’s not bad for what could have otherwise been an hour (or three) of pure nothing.
WANT SOME BONUS POINTS?
Hold something when you’re doing your squats. Like a baby, or a heavy book, or a couple of free weights if you’ve got them. Keep one in each hand with your elbows bent so the weights are at shoulder height and your palms are facing each other.
For a little flair, mix up the squats with some lunges.
Once you’re ready, build on this intro act by aiming to hit a specific number during each set. Something like rotating between 20 squats at the first commercial and 50 jumping jacks at the second commercial. This will bump up your heart rate and bring up the intensity level closer to a full on workout.
Don’t let having no TV at work stop you from moving. Find out how to avoid Sitting Disease and keep moving.
Now go on and enjoy that TV show! You’ll have the butt you’ve always wanted by the time you’ve finished binge watching that series.