Watching TV can be good exercise?

Ok, so now that I have your attention,
who says you have to watch TV sitting down?

Oh, no...here comes The Perfect Storm: 

• Rainy season has arrived. 
• Daylight savings time is ending.
• Sports season is in high gear w/ football, basketball, hockey (Go Sharks!), etc.
• November sweeps for all of our favorite TV shows is here. 

These events can really take a toll on our outdoor exercise programs, BUT, there is a way to stay on track.

Exercise while you watch!  

If you are lucky enough to have a gym membership, then stay on track and keep it up! However, for those of us who do most of our exercise outdoors, this can be a tricky time of year.

The GOOD news: We can still exercise indoors on rainy days or dark evenings while we catch up on our favorite sports teams, reality shows, sit-coms, or dramas. Even the American College of Sports Medicine has recently reported that Old School core exercises and calisthenics are going to be one of the hottest trends in 2011. Think "Rocky Balboa" with his push-ups, sit-ups, dumbbells, and jump rope and you've got the makings of a great indoor workout.

Here are some fun exercise ideas you can do while watching TV.

Get off the couch and go for it!

1. Enjoy "Dancing with the Stars" or "Glee"? Well, get up and dance or jump rope to the music!
2. Instead of using the DVR to skip commercials, do sit-ups, push-ups, squats, or jump rope during the 2-minute commercial breaks of your fav shows.
3. Is your weekend filled with watching college or pro football? Do 100 jumping jacks for every touchdown, 10 push-ups for every field goal, and 10 sit-ups for every first down! Or design your own combination of exercises.
4. You can do similar exercises during hockey or basketball games: perform jumping jacks or jump rope during power plays, do sit-ups and push-ups for every goal, and do squats for every point scored in basketball. You get the idea!
5. If you own dumbbells or kettle bells, you can also do sets of these during commercials or during games. 

Every little bit of exercise helps, so utilize these times to exercise, improve your health, and keep yourself fit!