Commercial breaks are annoying. You don’t want to sit through a bunch of ads…you just want to get back to watching your TV show! A lot of people use commercial breaks as an opportunity to head to kitchen. By the time your show has started again, you’ve got an armful of food to enjoy. What if you used commercial breaks to help your fitness, rather than hurt it? It is possible. How can you stay in shape while watching TV? Work out during the commercial beaks.
Just by doing two to three minutes of work at a time, you can enjoy your show and still focus on improving your level of fitness. It’s the perfect combination! Give these 5 exercises a try and watch your way to better health.
1) The Plank (and Plank Variations)
Okay, let’s be honest: the plank sucks. This super challenging exercise move engages your arms, your legs, your core…well, everything, really! That is why it is super effective. You probably won’t be able to do it for very long unless you’re at a more advanced level of fitness. That’s okay! Commercial breaks are the perfect place to start. To get into plank position, you’ll have to get down on the floor. Put your feet together and lift your body up with your arms. Hold this position. Yup, that’s it! Stay in plank position for as long as you can. If you can’t last for the whole commercial break, come down to your knees, take a fifteen second rest and get back into plank position. To mix this exercise up, do a reach around side plank instead.
2) Curtsy Squats
Squats are great for your body. You can opt for a basic squat during the next commercial break or you can make it a little bit different. The curtsy squat puts a new spin on an old classic. Start by standing with your legs hip width apart and bring your right leg back so that you are standing in a curtsy position. Squat down in that position, making sure you are as low down as you can go. (That will make the move even more effective!) Then get back up and repeat. Do each leg for one minute and then get back to enjoying your show. You can make this move even harder by jumping into the curtsy position before you do your squat. Just be careful not to hurt yourself!
3) The Burpee
You may remember this next commercial break move from your high school gym class. Even if you hated it then, it’s time to give it another try. This is one fantastic move that blends cardio and strength training together. That means you’ll burn lots of calories while you tone up your body. And remember, it’s only for a couple of minutes! Start in a standing position. Then crouch to the floor with your hands out in front of you. From there, you’ll want to jump into plank position, hold for a moment, jump your legs back into that crouching position, and jump back up. Repeat this move over and over until the commercial break is complete. By the end of it, you’ll most definitely have worked up a sweat!
You don’t have to be a couch potato anymore. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, get up during commercial breaks and do a mini-workout. By the end of the episode, you’ll be feeling better than ever.
Leave a Reply