Whittle While You Watch

Posted by Kahoomiki on November 9th, 2009

By Jonathan Valdez, University of Hawaii Food Science Human Nutrition Senior Student

It’s common to hear that we should ditch the television to play outside, or get off our butts and go to the gym. However, sometimes your favorite show is on, and you just feel as if it’s impossible to leave. According to A.C. Nielsen co. the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day, totaling 28 hours per week. That will later sum up to 2 months out of the year. Someone who is 65 years old has likely spent 9 of those years in front of a television. This is very alarming in America, especially since eating excess calories often occurs while watching television. But, if you are able to exercise while watching the television, you may be able to enjoy your show, decrease that calorie intake, and increase the calories you burn.

According to the National Nutrition Agenda, it is very important for children and adolescents to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. In adulthood, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, above usual activity at work or home are recommended on most days of the week in order to reduce chronic disease. The following are some options one can possibly incorporate in one’s television-watching habits.

One option could be purchasing an elliptical or a treadmill and put it right in front of your television. As you’re watching your favorite show, you can be running – and that could be from a 30-60 minute workout. The difficulty with this solution is the fact that treadmills are expensive. The prices can range from anywhere from $600 – $2000 depending on what brand you buy. Not to mention the fees that it will cost you to fix a broken treadmill. You can also try using craigslist, but be cautious of scams. Always compare the prices to the real object on the market, and if you’re stumped have a technician take a look at the treadmill to make sure it’s in good condition. The pricing may vary according to which distributor you go to.

Another possible and cheaper option you could do is stretching and using weights or your own body weight for exercise. There are chest, upper back, calf, back of thighs, front of thighs, outer thighs, torso, lower back, etc. exercises that anyone could do while they are watching television even if you’re overweight or obese. Please take care to know your limitations of each exercise. The amount, length, and how far one can stretch are all individualized. If you’re uncertain of what exercises are safe for you, see your physician. Here are some videos you can check out on Youtube. You can even work out with your kids when they are watching television.

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EU40VOsoMg
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2OK_SWycqM
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkivyAMMijM

If these vidoes are not sufficient, try different words in the search bank to get some options. The possibilities are endless.

Outside activity is great way to get the proper amount of physical activity to aid in diverting chronic diseases. However, since watching television is a common lifestyle activity enjoyed by Americans, you can choose from these options if you’re watching television alone or with your family and help to redirect intake of extra calories.

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