Exercises to stay fit while watching TV

Reaching senior retirement can allow you to do whatever you want, but it is also important to stay active to maintain senior wellness. Of any age group, seniors spend the most amount of hours doing leisure activities, including watching TV. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American watches about 2.8 hours of television every day. With all that time spent in front of the TV, Americans of all ages could be missing out on physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone gets about two hours and 30 minutes of exercise per week. Fortunately, there is a way to stay fit while still enjoying watching TV. Here are a few easy exercises to try out:

The commercial break workout
Sitting for too long can be bad for your health, but you don't have to miss your favorite show by doing the commercial break workout. The idea is that you use the commercial breaks to do short spurts of physical activity. If you do this over the course of an hour or longer, you can actually get in a pretty good workout. These short workouts are a great time to do strength training exercises, but won't necessarily replace cardio activity. The CDC recommends doing strength training about two times per week, in addition to aerobic activity.

Bicep curls
An easy way to work your arms is to do a set of bicep curls during the TV break. All you need are a few hand weights. When a commercial comes on the screen, sit up very straight with both feet planted flat on the floor. Hold both weights straight at your sides. Curl the weight to your shoulder by bending at the elbow before returning the weight to the starting position. Repeat the motion with the other arm and continue to switch back and forth. Try doing a few sets of 10 repetitions with each arm during the commercials.

Arm circles
To do arm circles, you need no equipment. Sit up straight with your feet on the floor. Extend your arms out on both sides. Circle your arms in a clockwise direction slowly. Do this 10 times before switching and circling the other direction.

Leg lifts
Once you work your arms, you will want to do the same activity for your legs. To do leg extensions, sit up straight on the edge of your seat. Put our hands on your hips and extend both legs out straight, leaning backward slightly to engage your core. Bend your knees and pull them toward your chest before pushing them out straight again. Repeat this motion 10 times for a set.

Leg extensions
To do leg extensions, you will need to attach ankle weights to your legs. Sit up straight again and at the edge of your seat or couch. Hold on to the sides of your seat and lift your legs so they are straight out in a knee-locked position. Bring them back down so your feet are planted on the ground. Do this 10 times, taking short breaks between each set.

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