Family Fitness Challenge for TV Viewers

Somebody's got the idea!

Time spent in front of some sort of screen seems to be a way of life for everyone these days, and fit kids and families are really no exception.  Although the clincher might be the amount of time spent sitting there and the overall lifestyle choices made by people (adults and kids) who have developed healthy lifestyle habits.  These habits are best formed at a very young age.  Kids learn what they live so if they come to know what is likely to be found in a "healthy" kitchen, and that active living can be a way of life and not a punishment, and that it can be fun, they will be off to a great start.

Here are 5 simple tricks to do while the TV commercials are running and each should burn about 20 calories.  Since the average one hour show likely has at least 15 minutes of commercials and each of these TV fitness tricks takes about a minute, you can quite easily burn about 300 calories in the time it takes you to watch your favourite TV show.

Make this a fitness challenge and you will be taking the first steps to having a fit family.

1. Do 12 leg squats – slowly – 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down.  Make sure your feet are far enough apart that your knees form a 90 degree angle when you squat.
2. Slowly press your arms above your head 15 times, 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down.  You can do this while sitting in your chair or on the floor.
3. Do 40 side jacks.  These are an easier rendition of the dreaded jumping jacks.  With side jacks you don't jump.  While you raise both hands from your sides up through a range of motion so your arms form a V above your head, tap your heel on the floor out to your side.  Your arms will go up and down each time you move your leg and your count one after you have moved each foot to the side.  So your arms will actually be going up 40 times and each foot will go 20 times each.
4. Do 15 standing leg curls on each leg slowly – again 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down.  Think of it as touching your heel to your behind.
5. Do 20 slow toe raises while standing.  This is the best exercise for getting your shins in shape for walking so you don't experience shin splints, which some people get if they start out to quickly.  This requires balance if you raise both feet at the same time so hold on to something or do one foot at a time.