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For many fathers, watching television is the best way to relax, especially after the kids are off to bed. It can be an opportunity to kick back in a comfy chair and turn off the brain after a long day of work. However, sitting in front of the “boob tube” for too long can have a negative impact on one’s health. What to do? Did you know you can exercise while watching TV?
This Father’s Day, to help dad stay healthy, you can show him some exercises he can do while watching TV. Considering that the average man supposedly spends about 19 hours watching television each week, the special dad in your life may prove to be in the best shape of his life once the season’s TV finales come along.
- Shake a leg—This exercise while watching TV is perhaps the easiest of the TV-watching exercises because all dad needs to do is shake his legs. He doesn’t even need to stand up. This exercise won’t transform him into a hunky soap opera star but it could help him burn a few hundred calories each day.
- Ab-solutely fabulous—Given that watching TV while lying on the floor is not necessarily comfortable, have, dad do sit-ups during the commercials. Just 10 repetitions during each commercial break, translate into about 30 sit-ups that he can do every half hour or about 100 every night.
- Step on it—Walking in place is an awesome way to exercise while watching TV, and it requires no special equipment, although it might be helpful for dad to strap on a pedometer to see how far he’s actually gone. Some experts at Livestrong.com recommend walking in place at a moderate pace.
- Be a good sport—While dad is watching sports on TV, he can get in shape by imitating the players. For example, when the football quarterback drops back to pass, he can drop back, too. When the point guard drives the lane, he can drive as well. And if dad likes to watch tennis, have him “hit” some fake forehands, serves and backhands. Sure, dad might look a little silly imitating the players, but he’ll get the last laugh when he finds that he’s in better shape.
If dad isn’t interested in exercise while watching TV but still wants to watch TV, make sure he watches a lot of comedies. Shows that bring on hearty laughter can help viewers burn 100 calories in 20 minutes.
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