I’m a fidgety person by nature, so when I’m watching TV, I usually need to be doing something, whether its working on a new craft project, cleaning up pictures for blog posts, or even chopping up veggies for lunches. Sometimes I use that time to fit in a light strength training workout.
I keep an exercise mat tucked under the desk, so when I’m in the mood for a little couch potato workout, its easy to change around the living room to fit it in. I also set the living up like this before I go for a run, or when I’m doing indoor biking with intervals, that way as soon as I am done my cardio, I can stretch right away and not forget to do it.
I also store all my smaller exercise equipment (weights, resistance bands, fitness magazines, yoga DVDs and some printouts of workouts that I like), in one of the baskets under the coffee table. Its all easy to access whenever I need it!
The second that I roll out the mat, Whiskey always has to run over and do his own stretches. I think he just likes the feel of the mat under his paws.
And what happens when I start doing crunches? He thinks I want to cuddle.
He is a pretty good workout buddy, because I know that the faster I push myself to finish up each set, the closer I am to getting to cuddle with this little guy on the couch. Talk about motivation.
First off, I am no expert, by any means. These are just exercises that I’ve learned from classes I’ve taken, videos I’ve watched and websites I’ve visited. As always, be careful and consult a professional before you begin anything new.
To warm up I usually do a couple minutes of good old fashioned jumping jacks to get the heart pumping and warm up, and of course some stretching to loosen everything up.
Then I usually do some combination of the following exercises. I mix and match depending on how I’m feeling, maybe add in some new ones that I’ve read in magazine or focus on one particular target area instead (i.e. arms or abs), doing multiple sets.
Squats: See how many squats you can do during a commercial break by almost sitting all the way down on a couch/chair, then popping right back up to a standing position. Make sure to stand with you feet shoulder-width apart, put your hands on your hips or out in front of you and keep your back perfectly straight as you lower. This is great for your legs and buttocks. (I sometimes do this at the office too, when I’m waiting for a big document to print). Try it fast sometimes and then other times take it really slow. You’ll notice how much harder it is to go slow and controlled
Tricep Dips: This is one of my all-time favorite exercises. I do this all the time when I’m watching TV, or even when I’m away travelling. Sit on a bench of chair, placing hands next to your hips. Lift up on your hands, bring your hips forward and lower your hips down until your elbows get no lower than 90 degrees. Push back up without locking your elbows. Try to do 10-20 reps. Make sure not to shrug your shoulders, keeping them down and away from your ears as you bend your elbows. To make this move more intense, walk your feet farther out or prop them up on a bench or chair.
Plank: This is one of the most effective abs exercies that you can do, and its not just great for strengthening your abdominal muscles, it also works on all your core muscles, such as your hips and back. Start by lying face down on the exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest and prop yourself up into a bridge using your forearms and toes, engaging your core. Keep your back flat and don’t let your hips sag towards the floor. Hold while focusing on tightening your abs. Beginners can start at 10 seconds and then work your way up to a full minute. Return to starting position and rest.
Leg Lifts: This is a great exercise for your obliques and inner thighs and improves your balance. Lie on the your side with your body in a line (head to shoulders to hips to knees, etc). Move your bottom leg slightly forward and bend slightly for a little more support. Either rest your head on your bottom arm, or prop it up on your hand (see above). Pull yours abs in and engage your core muscles to help keep you stable. Inhale while visualizing pull your entire body very long. Exhale using your hips muscles and outer thigh to slowly lift the top leg off the ground. Start with a few inches, then slowly work up to going a little higher, making sure that you don’t tilt your hips forward or backwards. Complete 10-15 reps, then turn over on your other side and repeat. Also try doing this while lifting both legs slightly off the ground as well.
Crunches: Although doing crunches alone won’t help you get a six pack (you gotta burn off that fat in front of them!), they are still great for improving your core. To do a perfect crunch, lie on the mat with your knees bent and hands behind your head or across your chest. Pull your button towards your spine and flatten your lower back to the floor. Slowly engage your abs and contract them to bring your shoulder blades one to two inches off the floor. Exhale as your come up, hold and then slowly lower back down. Make sure to keep breathing – don’t hold it in! Repeat for 15-20 reps, focusing on perfect form each time. To make it a little more difficult, bring up your knees into tabletop (like in the picture above) or bring your knees up at the same time as your upper body for a full body crunch.
You can also do crunches with your legs over the couch, or over the back of the couch, like you would a bench as the gym. Place your hands loosely behind your head or cross your arms over your chest. Engage your abs, then slowly curl your shoulders and torso off the ground, towards your knees. At the top, squeeze your abs to maximize the contraction and then slowly lower yourself back down. The trick here is to do it slowly. As you build up, you can hold your thighs vertical while you do this.
And don’t forget how great exercise balls are for crunches too!
Push-ups: When there are commercial breaks during a show its a great opportunity to do the exercises that take your eyes off the TV, such as push-ups. If you’re a beginner you can start with them against the wall or even do them on the couch. Facing the couch, kneel with your feet about two feet away from the couch. Place your hands shoulder width apart on the cushion edge and cross your ankles. Slowly bend your arms and lower your chest until it touches the couch. Hold and then press up again. Repeat as many times as you can. As you get better, you can move to traditional push-ups on the floor. Push-ups hit your chest, shoulders and triceps areas while building overall core strength and power, so they really are a wonderful exercise to incorporate into your routine, even if you hate them (like me!)
Cheap Home Gym
You don’t have to have expensive equipment to get great results, even when doing a couch potato workout like this one. Here are some simple things to keep in your house:
Exercise Ball
Sit on a stability ball instead of the couch while actually watching the program. Bounce a little. It can actually be fun once you get into it! You can also do some great crunches and abs movements on here too. Check out this article for tips on how to really engage your abs while on the ball and how to pick the right size for your height too.
Resistance Bands: This are GREAT for doing arm exercises. I uses them all the time when I’m doing my indoor bike intervals. They are not only inexpensive, but they are easy to toss into a suitcase when you’re traveling.
There you have it! Next time you’re sitting down to watch a new episode of “Glee”, rather than reach for some junk food, get up off your butt and get moving!
Exercise Log
Wed, Sept 29: 4.2 km run in 29 minutes – 2.2 in 14:30 (10:35 min/mile), 1.4 in 10 (11:29 min/mile), 0.6 in 4:30 (11:29 min/mile). Then I stopped because I was feeling really light headed. This whole low blood pressure thing can really suck.
Bedtime Yoga
Thurs, Sept 30: Day Off
Fri, Oct 1: Indoor Bike (12.35 miles) + Intervals:
Warm up: Bike 5 min (1.16 miles)
Stretching
Bike 10 min (20 mph, 3.32)
Interval 1: Arms + Abs
Bike 10 min (20 mph, 3.34)
Interval 2
Bike 10 min (20 mph, 3.26)
Interval 3
Cool down: Bike 5 min (17 mph, 1.27)
Stretching!
Bedtime Yoga
Sat, Oct 2: Bedtime Yoga (5 girlie pushups)
Sun, Oct 3: Abbreviated Indoor Bike [ran out of time!] (7.99 miles) + Intervals:
Warm up: Bike 5 min (1.40 miles)
Stretching
Bike 10 min (20 mph, 3.29)
Interval 1: Arms + Abs
Bike 10 min (20 mph, 3.30)
Interval 2
Stretching!
Bedtime Yoga
Mon, Oct 4: Pilates
Tues, Oct 5: Bedtime Yoga (5 girlie pushups)
Not much progress in the stats, but I’m feeling stronger all the time and my flexibility is really increasing, which is great!
Stats
Body Mass Index: 24.2
Waist-to-Height ratio: 0.44
Percent Body Fat: 28.2
Lean Body Mass: 112.6 lb
