Exercising while watching TV, instead of sitting on the couch staring at the tube, can have many health benefits.
The average person spends 2.8 hours per day watching TV, according to a 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
Add it up and that’s almost 43 DAYS per year of sitting. Imagine the workouts you could get in if you spent even half this time exercising.
Couch potato side effects
Spending so much time being inactive isn’t good for the body. Obvious consequences are weight gain and decreased metabolism.
“Basically, the body deconditions,” said Dr. Andrea Peterson, a Marshfield Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist. “Your body loses endurance and muscle so naturally your strength will decrease.”
Inactivity could also lead to more serious conditions, like blood clots in the legs, Peterson said.
Benefits of movement
Increased activity provides many benefits to the body, including:
- Building core strength helps decrease lower back pain and prevent flares.
- Stretching helps prevent muscle spasms and leg cramps.
- Aerobic activity decreases chances of heart diseases, like strokes or heart attacks.
How active should I be?
Peterson recommends one hour of physical activity per day.
“You may find it easier to approach it in smaller increments,” she said. “You do not have to do the entire hour at one time. Just get your heart rate above normal resting rate for 60 minutes total.”
Get active while watching TV
“It’s great to have access to treadmills or bikes, but many times this isn’t the case,” Peterson said. “And that’s okay. You don’t need big equipment to exercise.”
The following are simple stretches and exercises to do in front of the TV. Download and print this list for easy reference.
I do some of these exercises and others but still continue to have lots of cramps and spams in legs, back and neck. I do have spinal disease and fibro and also disabled, so limited on what I can do for exercises and strengthening. I also have fusion of cadabra bone with metal plates and screws in c3-c4 for many years but coming apart and now also have degenerative disc changes in in the spine of c4-c5 and c5- c6 I also have problems with lower back l2 through l4. now that winter is over with I am able to start to walk my cocker spaniel but not far or in too much pain, even folding clothes, doing dishes puts me into major pain in shoulders, neck and arms and at legs get so bad and arms at times that can't feel them and they swell. What can I do to strengthen my muscles in my legs, abdomen, lower back, buttocks and breasts without injuring more of neck and back? I also have many other issues with my back as well and do the exercise required through physical therapy since surgery and been back to get more exercises but nothing is new than I already do, but don't have anything for lower back, buttocks, chest for breast area. Can't do weight butterflys or such like that because of neck and shoulder issues. Even get lots of tingling in arms and legs and loss of feelings and swelling in arms and, hands and feet. My physician knows of these problems and has also instructed the exercises I do to do them with less weight first and less reps then gradually go up.
Hi, Virginia. Thank you for reading. We cannot provide you with personalized medical recommendations and exercises on this forum. It is best to continue this conversation with your doctor. You might also be interested in some of our "Get more core" videos – here is the first video in the series: https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/bone-joint/core-muscle-exercises-video/
You can also connect with one of our specialists here: https://marshfieldclinic.org/Specialties/physical-medicine I hope this helps. -Kirstie