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Making the Most of Your Tube Time
There has been a lot of news in the press lately about the shocking number of hours a day we, along with our children, spend on some kind of gadget or social media. Did you know that the average American television viewer watches 151 hours of television per month? It's baffling when you think about it, but what's even scarier is the proven health detriment. In a recent CNN Report, they followed 8,800 people with no history of heart disease for 6 full years. They compared one group, who watched less than two hours of TV per day, to another, who watched four hours or more per day. The people who watched four or more hours were 80% more likely to die from heart disease and 46% more likely to die of other causes. In total, 284 people died during the study. The study went on to prove that for every hour of television a person watches per day, they increase their risk of heart disease by 18% and their overall risk of death by 11%.
Rather incredible numbers. The fact of the matter is TV promotes sitting and studies show that it also leads to eating nutrient-energy dense, snack-type foods. Here are some tips on how to transform your family's tube time with a few fun and easy strategies:
1. Stretch while you watch - Great way to unwind after a long day. Purchase a foam roller or a stretching strap and hit the quadriceps, calves, IT Band, and hamstrings. Plan a series of stretches that you can do lying on the carpet while you're watching your favorite program.
2. Commercial Strength Training - Challenge yourself during commercial breaks to perform body weight exercises. Do an AMRAP (as many repetitions as possible) each break and record your results. Choose straightforward exercises such as pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, chair dips or anything you have access to such as a FitBall and Free Weights. Twenty minutes of commercial time leads to a whole lot of repetitions.
3. Get Core-rageous - Create a 10 to 15 minute core training routine that you can perform while watching television. Try to hit every abdominal group including plank variations, cross legged crunches, superman's, and bicycle kicks.
4. Walk Before Sitting - There's more daylight during the summer so hit that post-dinner Thermal Walk™, a 20 minute walk taken after every meal. It will not only take your mind off an evening snack, but it will leave less time for the tube when you get back.
Instead of munching on empty-calorie snacks in front of the TV, try whipping up your own pita chips paired with fresh spinach dip or hummus!
(Click on the links to view and print recipes.)
Visit H3Daily.com for more health and fitness tips, free workout routines, recipes and more!
Alicea Glover is responsible for H3 Direct, a corporate wellness program, facilitated by Hilton Head Health (H3), designed to take the inspiration of H3's Healthy Lifestyle™ program, delivered to your door. It's not too late to begin a program for your company in 2011! Call 843-785-3919 for information about how you can invest in your employees' health in the New Year for less than a quarter a day!
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