Watching TV helps you get fit? Yes, seriously. #GetFitWithNetflix
I started the year with some brilliant Good Intentions. 2014 was going to be The Year.
But here we are in February already.. and it’s tough changing old habits, no? However, one area I’m sticking to is the health thing – having your husband diagnosed with Diabetes has that kind of effect on a girl. So sugar’s out, and low fat, high fibre foods are in. And that bit’s not been hard at all, actually. Amazing what some real motivation will do.
But the exercise thing? Eeps. That’s harder. I do walk the dog most days – but that doesn’t always count as actual exercise. I mean it’s better than sitting on a computer… but there are days when the gentle saunter across the fields (or the grumpy slog through ankle deep mud which is currently more accurate) aren’t quite workout-worthy.
But 2014 has also turned out to be the Year Of The TV Show. To be honest we don’t watch much regular TV, and when we do we tend to settle in for a film. But now we have Netflix, and there’s something strangely addictive about having all those shows at your fingertips.
And actually, I use them as my very own personal reward chart. Because I can set the iPad up in front of the exercise bike – and the rule is, I’m allowed to watch an entire episode of Modern Family (HOW did I miss this? Two series sitting waiting at my fingertips though. LOVE!) as long as I keep cycling through it.
And the lure of the next episode actually works – I keep right on cycling each day.
When I’m up to date with Modern Family, that’s okay – I’m going to work my way up. Because Modern Family is only 20 minutes long – I’ll just up my game for the 40 minutes of The Good Wife, which I’ve been wanting to watch by the husband isn’t keen to see.
I know – sounds pathetic that I’m rewarding myself for exercising with a dose of TV.
My current aim? To make it through an entire Quantum Leap episode at a steady speed…
Ultimately, who knows – maybe I’ll be cycling through the entire Cary Grant collection by Christmas.
Of course, if you’ve no handy exercise bike one which to pile your laundry and which is giving the dust something to do, you can do any of your exercise routines while you distract yourself with what’s happening to those Desperate Housewives. Netflix have actually been working with Niki Wibrow, who has developed some bespoke exercises concentrating on five different areas – each can be performed in different combinations, at different speeds and at different numbers of repetitions to suit your fitness plan (or, as in my case, your tv catch-up plan..)
