Avoid couch potato syndrome; take a TV exercise break

We all like to spend time as couch potatoes, lounging in front of the TV, watching our favorite shows. And as the weather turns colder, it’s even more appealing to spend time inside.

But as you know, sitting more means moving less. Which means burning less calories during the day.

Here’s a quick TV exercise break so you can keep your body moving during the breaks and keep your metabolism burning high.

The average hour-long television show has about 17 minutes of ads. Instead of using that time to channel surf or raid the fridge, hop off the couch and do one of these fat-blasting exercises. Pick one move per break repeating until your show is back on.

• Sofa Squat: Stand in front of your couch with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms straight out in front of you. Squat as though you were sitting down—keep your knees behind your toes—but just before your rear hits the seat, stand back up.
• Air jump rope: Bounce on the balls of your feet and make small circles with your arms as if you were jumping rope. This move burns just as many calories as the real thing.
• Armrest Push-Ups: With your arms in front of you and slightly wider than your shoulders, lean on your sofa’s armrest and keep your back flat and belly sucked in. Bend your arms, lower your chest to the armrest and push back up.
• Ottoman Step-Ups: Step your right foot onto an ottoman, the couch or a stepping stool. Push up through your heel, then step back down and repeat on your left side.
• Coffee Table Triceps Dip: Sit on your sturdy coffee table (the couch or a stable chair works too). Scoot your butt forward and grab the edge of the tabletop. Slowly bend your elbows and drop your body downward until your triceps are parallel to the ground. Return to the starting position.
• Chair lunge: Put one foot on the seat of a chair behind you and jump out a little so your hind leg is stretched a little. Balancing on one foot, lunge down, keeping your knee aligned over your ankle. Repeat for 20 reps each side. Make it a little harder by holding 5 lb dumb bells in each hand and as you rise up, do a shoulder press with the weights.

And if you’re feeling really energetic, add a 1-minute cardio burst between sets, like air jump rope, jumping jacks or jump squats.

Bonus: Exercising during breaks cuts down on snacking, so you’ll nosh less.