If you’re anything like me, the second it gets cold you want all the blankets, all the creamy soups, all the Netflix on the couch, ALL THE TIME! Who wants to change into tight workout clothes and attempt to bundle up and leave the house for a run or a trip to the gym when your cozy chair and favorite knit socks simply won’t let you go?
Well fear not fellow homebodies! I’ve gotten pretty creative this year on how to stay moving without moving too far at all. Here’s how to beat winter at its own game, and do it from the comfy-cozy confines of your house.
Dread commercials? Make ’em count!
While I fully endorse the 25 Days of Christmas movie marathon, nobody needs 25 full days to sit around. Use those dreaded commercial breaks as an excuse to move around. The average half-hour TV show has at least 8 minutes of ads, double that for an hour, so if you’re binge-watching Gilmore Girls that adds up quick! Think pushups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, no equipment, and only a few minutes to push it hard before your show is back on!
Here’s a TV Commercial Break Workout you can squeeze in between scenes.
Movie Workout Game
Think of this like the dreaded college drinking games where you have to take a drink anytime some lame character says the same lame thing. What if you did an exercise every time instead? Killer “workout games” have already been developed for Harry Potter, How to Get Away with Murder, and Gilmore Girls, and even Biggest Loser. Pick your poison and have fun!
House Chores Dance Party
You have guests coming over for a holiday party and have to clean anyway. While housework is already a proven calorie burner, why not take it up a notch and set it to your guilty-pleasure 80’s jam playlist? Singing, dancing, and cleaning — the new triple threat. The carpet gets vacuumed, the toilets scrubbed, all with a Mrs. Doubtfire worthy performance.
Pump Up the Heat…in the Bedroom!
This is a worthy option not to be forgotten! What’s a better way to burn some calories than under the comfort of your comforter? Talk about super cozy! Help you and your partner beat the winter blues by creating some heat in other ways. See how fitness can improve your sex life, but also how sex can improve your fitness!
Couch Workouts
Here are my favorite exercises that you can perform without leaving your couch (again, great during a Netflix bender)!
- Pushups. Your feet stay up on the couch, hands on the floor. Do at least two sets of 10.
- Walking Plank. Same position as pushups, except stay in plank as you keep arms and legs straight and walk from end to end on the couch. Keep walking for at least 30 seconds. Rest then do it again!
- Triceps Dips: Face your TV with legs extended, arms on the couch, fingers pointing toward your toes. Lower down until your arms are at a 90-degree angle.
If all else fails, YouTube it.
If you truly want a killer workout, but really can’t get yourself to change clothes or leave the house, look up some (free!) YouTube workout ideas. There are full length Vinyasa yoga classes, HIIT interval workouts, and Zumba videos galore. Bonus points if you do it in your pajamas.
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image via DeathToTheStockPhoto.com