Exercising on autopilot

October 10, 2013 3:40 AM

What are some fun cardio workouts I can do while watching TV?

I love exercising but it is too cold right now and I am too lazy to leave the house sometimes! What are some dance/aerobic workouts I can do while watching TV which I can learn and do on autopilot? Preferably ones that will get me to break a sweat without making a lot of noise? Are there any cool dances/kickboxing moves I could learn that I could just keep doing while watching TV?

Also NO strength training suggestions please, have no desire at all to get any stronger than I now and find moves where only one muscle group is being exercised exceedingly unpleasant and not as gratifying as ones where I am jumping around using my whole body.

Thanks! :)

posted by dinosaurprincess to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Is getting a treadmill or exercise bike or elliptical machine a possibility?
posted by COD at 4:28 AM on October 10, 2013

Jump rope, that's my low-tech way of exerflixing. It's quieter than a machine too so I don't have to turn the tv up loud to hear it.
posted by headnsouth at 5:15 AM on October 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

Step box? You can make up or learn routines that involve your arms and weights.

Be aware, it's not for the clumsy.
posted by bilabial at 5:26 AM on October 10, 2013

You really want an exercise bike/elliptical/treadmill. They're great when you don't have to leave the house to use them, and you can watch tv so easily on them. Elliptical would likely be the "full body" experience you're looking for more so than the bike.
posted by hepta at 5:51 AM on October 10, 2013

You could also use those exercise machines to power the television.
posted by mareli at 6:55 AM on October 10, 2013

I use a mini trampoline. It gets the job done.
posted by missrachael at 9:39 AM on October 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

You can get pretty cheap folding exercise bikes on Amazon. They're not great but for $150 they give you enough workout.
posted by radioamy at 9:42 AM on October 10, 2013

I'm guessing that jumping rope and large machines may not be compatible with your TV-viewing space. It seems that someone probably has already devised the workout that you seek, and I'm surprised we haven't yet seen the answer from an in-the-know Mefite!

I'd suggest creating one yourself and writing a list on a mini wite-board next to your TV screen:
High-knee march in place
Jumping Jacks
Lunges
Jog in place
and the like.

And acquire a set of those soft wraparound wrist and ankle weights. Perhaps do all of this wearing a heartrate monitor to get a sense of just what is necessary to keep your rate up.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:11 AM on October 10, 2013

Another vote for a mini-trampoline! Small, portable, quieter than you'd expect, and very fun in front of the TV, especially with comedies and dramadies.
posted by pie ninja at 12:18 PM on October 10, 2013

I would invent the crazy dance game, where you have to dance around according to the music/dialogues/moods on TV. Nothing better for cardio than dance, PLUS artistic creativity FTW.
posted by shazzam! at 6:16 AM on October 12, 2013