I'm sure we would all love to know the secret to getting and staying fit, without the effort - wouldn't we?
Sadly, until such time as scientists discover or develop this, we are stuck with traditional exercise methods. But with the winter evenings drawing in, its dark and colder outside and so much harder to motivate yourself to leave the house and exercise. For those of you with 9-5 type jobs, getting home when it is already dark can be demotivating on it's own, and the thought of then leaving your nice warm house to go outside and exercise is tough!
Being part of a group such as "Get Fit Today" will definitely help. The motivation you get from the instructors and the other members will make the journey from home to the park worthwhile. The feeling you get after an hours outdoor exercise, and arriving home for a hot shower knowing that you have already burnt off around 600-1000 calories whilst all of your friends have sat on the sofa is incredible, and definitely something worth bragging about the following day at work.
However, there are still times when your other commitments at work and home simply mean that you don't have the time to exercise. Then what do you do?
Well - we have the answer! The "Get Fit Today" TV Advert Circuit!
Whether it's Coronation Street, Britain's Got Talent or a mini-drama, there are generally advert breaks (or on BBC, the gaps between programs). This is your opportunity for a quick circuit blast. Adverts generally last for 30 seconds and there can be between 5-7 in each advert break. This means you can fit in around 3.5 minutes of exercise every hour and not feel guilty about watching the telly. This is how it works:
BEGINNER TV CIRCUIT
1st advert - Press-ups.
Start by kneeling down and then lean forward and place your hands flat on the floor. Roll your body forwards so that your shoulders are above your hands and your arms are straight, keeping your knees on the floor.
Slowly lower your chest to the floor by bending your arms but trying to keep a straight line through your shoulders, hips and knees. The slower you can lower your body down, the better. Once flat on the floor, recover to the start position in any way you wish and then repeat.
Breathe out as you lower your chest towards the floor and breathe in as you recover back to the start position.
2nd advert - Rest
3rd advert - Sit-Ups
Sit down, feet flat on the floor, legs bent at 90 degrees and your back touching the floor.
Place your arms outstretched so that your fingertips touch your thighs. Lift up your shoulders and back a maximum of 2 inches and then relax to the floor.
Recover and repeat. Try not to hold your breath as you lift up, breathe out when putting in the effort if you can.
4th advert - Rest
5th advert - Squats
Start standing up straight, feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing slightly outwards.
Fold your arms across your chest with your fingertips on the top of your opposite arm. Slowly bend your knees and lower your torso down towards the floor. Do so gently and only as far as you can without causing any pain. Check that your knees bend and move forwards in the same direction as your toes point, and keep your heels flat on the floor.
When you have gone as low as you can, slowly lift up and breathe out as you do. Repeat.
6th advert - Rest
** If there are more adverts, repeat from step 1.
Make a note somewhere of how many reps of each exercise you completed and try to match this on the next advert break!
ADVANCED TV CIRCUIT
1st advert - Press Ups
To be done on the toes, lowering to the floor slowly and then pushing up keeping your tors nice and straight and without dipping your hips.
Rest in the upper position if you need to but don't drop your knees to the floor. Breathe out as you lower your chest towards the floor and breathe in as you recover back to the start position.
*Add Difficulty
If you want to make this slightly more difficult, stop when your chest is 2" from the floor and then count to 5 before lifting back up to the start position
2nd advert - Rest
3rd advert - Sit-Ups
Sit down, feet flat on the floor, legs bent at 90 degrees and your back touching the floor. Fold your arms across your body so that the fingertips of your left hand touch your right bicep, and vice versa.
Lift your back up from the floor keeping your arms in contact with your chest, and only stop when your elbows touch your knees. Slowly lower back to the floor under control and repeat. Try not to hold your breath as you lift up, but instead breathe out when putting in the effort.
*Add Difficulty
If you're feeling strong, when you raise to the top of the sit-up position, twist your upper body so that your right elbow touches your left knee, and then back the opposite way so that your left elbow touches your right knee
4th advert - Rest
5th advert - Squats
Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing slightly outwards. Fold your arms across your chest with your fingertips on the top of your opposite arm. Slowly bend your knees and lower your torso down towards the floor.
Do so gently until your elbows tuck just inside your knees, pushing your knees slightly outwards at the same time. As you lower down, check that your knees bend and move forwards in the same direction as your toes point, and keep your heels flat on the floor. From there, straighten your legs and breathe out as you stand up straight. Repeat
*Add Difficulty
Feel free to chuck in an extra jump as you lift up if you have the energy).
6th advert - Rest
** If there are more adverts, repeat from step 1.
Again, make a note somewhere of how many reps of each exercise you completed and try to match this on the next advert break!
So, there you have it, a nice simple-to-follow TV Advert break exercise circuit. If you are new to exercise, please be very careful with any of these exercises and make sure that you speak to your GP before hand. There is also an online health questionnaire on our website that you can check if you are worried about any pre-existing health conditions.
Give our TV Advert exercise circuit a try and see how you get on. Get in touch or leave a comment below to let us know how you done, we'd love to hear from you.
If you are new to exercise and enjoy this circuit and feel that you are ready to try some others, please get in touch.
