With the fall TV season approaching, some folks will have even more excuses for not exercising.

During the first quarter of this year, Americans averaged more than 158 hours per month watching television, more than 25 hours using the Internet and close to four hours a month watching videos on their cell phones, according to the Nielsen Company. but our love affair with technology is turning us into a nation of lumps, critics say.

“Many of the things that we engage with each day are technology-based,” says Brian Biagioli, executive director of the National Council on Strength and Fitness.

“Whenever you increase technology, physical work goes down,” he says. “The more we engage technology, the less physical activity we’re required to do, and it has a negative impact on the body, because the body is designed to move.”

But exercise and television need not be mutually exclusive. and while they’d much rather see folks hitting the gym or lacing up the walking shoes, fitness professionals say there is some benefit to exercising while watching “Mad Men” or “The Biggest Loser.”

For example, where some might watch a commercial for Toyota or eHarmony, others might see it as the chance to pick up a pair of hand weights for a quick set of bicep curls or to take a brisk two-minute walk around the room.

For Biagioli, these measures are better than nothing. but they also might be helpful, because they’re all many people are capable of doing. Obese, sedentary people usually lack the physical capacity to engage in high-intensity fitness training such as running or biking, Biagioli says. The next best thing is health training, which he defines as physical activity that helps to prevent diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. it won’t get them fit, but it might help make them “apparently healthy,” he says.

“To be physically fit, you have to work at an uncomfortable level. to be healthy, you can work at comfortable level,” Biagioli says.

Having a yoga mat or elastic resistance band nearby can help couch potatoes sneak in microbursts of exercise. a set of crunches or sit-ups can be performed during an ad for Levitra. if all else fails, experts say, do little cleaning chores or at least fidget during commercial breaks.

These little “cheats” can help improve circulation, flexibility and overall health, even if they won’t help you to drop a couple of dress sizes.

“There’s no substitute for getting out and walking or bike riding,” says Kathleen Nachazel, an athletic trainer at UPMC Sports Medicine and medical team manager for the Pittsburgh Marathon. “Everybody’s so busy that if you can at least get some sort of exercise in, it’s better than not doing anything at all.”

For those parked in front of a computer at work, Nachazel suggests armchair push-ups. The sitter places both hands on the armrests and tries to lift himself up off the seat. Nachazel says she will do leg extensions if she’s seated for an extended period of time.

Anita Kysor, owner of Monroeville Massage and Kysor Electrolysis, says the chest and other muscles are often the culprit behind back pain for people who sit for long periods at work.

“People always come in with back pain,” says Kysor, a registered nurse and massage therapist. “The back is never the problem. when people are seated, the front of the body gets sort of contracted. That’s why people behind the desk have back pain.”

Kysor might advise her clients to stretch their chest muscles by standing up, holding both arms straight out from the shoulders and bringing the tips of their fingers together in a flying motion.

To stretch the neck, clasp both arms of the seat. Bring your right ear to your right shoulder and hold for eight to 10 seconds, Kysor says. Repeat on the other side.

Walking around during TV commercial breaks also can have a benefit, says John Jakicic, professor and chair of the Department of Health and Physical Activity activity at the University of Pittsburgh.

“If you really want to burn a lot of calories, get up and walk around for two minutes. you will probably have walked for 15 minutes if you walk during every commercial.”

Jakicic suggests that those at work set up a prompt on their e-mail account reminding them to get up and walk around every hour.

“Almost 70 percent of our adult population is overweight or obese,” he says. “Moving an extra 20 minutes isn’t going to help them lose weight. but every little bit helps.”

Quick exercises

Your body doesn’t care whether you’re doing them at the gym or in front of the television, so why not schedule an abdominal workout for the next episode of “Mad Men”?

EzineArticles fitness author John Davenport has these suggestions for working your abs while watching television.

1. Knees to stomach crunch: while seated on a couch or armchair, grab the edges or arms to hold yourself in place. Bring your knees up as close to your chest as possible and lower them again. Repeat. Don’t forget to exhale.

2. Bicycle: Lie down on the floor facing the television. Clasp your hands behind your head and lift both legs slightly off the floor. Bring your right knee up to meet your left elbow in a cycling motion. Alternate.

3. Sit and contract: while seated on couch, tighten your abdominal muscles, checking with your hand to feel them harden. Hold, then release. do 20 to 30 repetitions.

4. Basic crunch: Lie on the floor with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor. Supporting the back of your head with both hands, raise your torso toward your knees without lifting or moving your legs.

5. Plank: Lie on your stomach and raise yourself up over the floor, holding yourself in place using your forearms and the tips of your feet. Look directly at the floor to avoid straining your neck. Keeping your back straight, hold the position as long as you can. you should feel your abs tightening and straining within about 30 seconds.

Source: Ezinearticles.com

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