Ok, so you have promised yourself that you want to get into better shape this year, but you just can’t seem to tear your eyes away from the latest episode of “Game of Thrones” or “Sons of Anarchy” to get yourself to go for a run or hit the gym? Once you get home after a hard day of work and switch on the flat screen, you want to settle in and stay there for the rest of the evening?
Fair enough, we’ve all been there. It’s tough to get the inertia to get back out of the house, especially when you are entranced by Gordon Ramsay shouting at a restaurant owner for overcooking a steak or Jeremy Clarkson cooing over the curves and handling of a luxury car. Let’s face it, watching TV is a lot more fun than staring at the sweat pattern forming on the back of the guy on the treadmill in front of you while you listen to your “Workout Mix” on your iPod and chug away climbing an imaginary hill.
That’s where the Advert Break workout comes in. If you want to get fitter and stronger without having to miss a single minute of the TV action, this is the perfect compromise. Did you know that when you watch an hour long television program, only approximately 45 minutes is the show and the remaining 15 minutes of time is adverts? If you can make the most of this time, you can add quite a bit of workout time into your week during the moments when you would otherwise just be sitting on the couch getting annoyed at the obnoxious singing of the “Go Compare” guy.
What Exercises Can You Do During an Advert Break?
You can help yourself get in the right state of mind by wearing your workout gear while watching the show, so you are ready to go when the time comes. Make sure you have a bottle of water to drink while you are resting, so that you can keep yourself hydrated. Of course, you will also need a working television for this, so contact your TV aerial installers or set up a cable installation.
As soon as the show switches off, jump off the couch and do as many of the following as you can do before your program comes on again:
· Press ups
· Burpees
· Crunches
· Sit ups
· Planks
· Squats
· Lunges
· Dips
· Bicycle Crunches
The goal is to start as soon as the show cuts to commercial break and not to stop until the program comes on again.
Along with these strength building and toning exercises, you can also include some bursts of high intensity cardio. See if you can run on the spot continuously for the entire advert break, or do jumping jacks.
You can even invest in a set of hand weights and keep them next to the television. Whip them out during your advert break workouts and focus on your biceps, triceps, shoulders and back with different lifting exercises.
Your final advert break can be used for yoga and stretches, so that you can lengthen your muscles and stretch them out to avoid stiffness and soreness. Breathe deeply while stretching your whole body.
Sometimes it’s really hard to get the motivation to break your routine and add in more physical activity. The TV advert break workout is a great solution because it only involves a commitment of around 3 minutes at a time. However, the results of these exercises will be cumulative after a while you will start to see a difference. Eventually, you will feel your fitness level and your strength begin to rise and you will have more energy and you might even lose a few pounds. Go ahead, give it a try!
Chris Hoole is a freelance writer and fitness blogger. During advert breaks he likes to challenge his girlfriend to see who can do the most crunches and press-ups.
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