The “In Front of the TV” Workout: Make Exercise As Fun and Easy as Possible

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Everyone knows exercise is good for them, but not everyone knows how to make it a consistent habit. This is a common struggle in many areas of self improvement: we know what is good for us, but we have trouble actually doing what is good for us.

I’ve certainly struggled for many years to build a workout routine that I could sustain for a long period into the future. Countless times throughout my past I’ve gone to the gym for a couple weeks, but then quickly fell off and stopped going.

One thing that helps is having an “everything counts” mindset, even if it’s just simple things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking my car further from my destination so I can take a small walk, or doing 20 push-ups every morning before jumping in the shower.

Tiny habits like that can help you to begin thinking of yourself as a “health-conscious” person, and even that shift in identity can motivate you to start making healthier choices and taking advantages of opportunities to be more physically active.

Another interesting strategy to try out is to do an “in front of the TV” workout. Most of us already spend a lot of time in front of screens – watching TV shows, movies, news, or sports – so why not take some of that passive time and combine it with physical activity?

In psychology, this is known as “habit stacking.” It’s when you take an old habit that’s already a part of your daily routine (such as watching TV) and combine it with a new habit that you are trying to build (such as a workout).

“Habit stacking” can often make building new habits easier, because you are creating an association in your mind between the new habit and something that’s already deeply ingrained into your brain. This makes the new habit far more likely to stick with you.

For me, I’m a bit of an information junkie, so I’m always watching new lectures, listening to podcasts, or taking online courses. Learning new things is something I naturally crave on a daily basis, so I thought, “Why not try to combine this activity with a morning workout?”





My “In Front of the TV” Workout

My morning “in front of the TV” workout is incredibly simple but it’s been consistent and sustainable for me, which is the #1 thing when trying to build a new habit.

Basically, I start a new video lecture on my laptop, cast it onto my TV, and then go through simple exercises while watching the lecture, such as:

Stretching (with a few Yoga poses thrown in)

Lunges

Jumping jacks

Push ups

Sit ups

Pull ups

Isometric exercises (basically flexing muscles and holding them)

Once I’m done with stretching, I often rotate every few minutes between jumping jacks, push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and more stretching. So it becomes a “fully body” workout while also keeping my heart rate up and adrenaline pumping.

It doesn’t require any equipment, so I could technically do this exercise almost anywhere. Although I would like to expand and get some dumbbells or kettlebells soon.

Overall, it usually lasts me about 30 minutes. When I’m done, I’ll pause whatever video lecture I was watching and save the remainder for tomorrow.

Of course the particular exercise isn’t really important here. The main idea is that I do my workout “in front of the TV,” because it helps me to turn it into a consistent and steady practice.

One reason the “in front of the TV” workout has been so effective for me is because it fits my personality in two key ways:

Introversion : I prefer working out alone rather than with others (especially in a public place like a gym, where being around people often sucks up my energy). This has been one of the biggest hurdles for me, so working out at home is essential.

: I prefer working out alone rather than with others (especially in a public place like a gym, where being around people often sucks up my energy). This has been one of the biggest hurdles for me, so working out at home is essential. Open-Minded: I enjoy learning new things and often feel like I’m not “being productive” unless my mind is stimulated. So by adding video lectures to my workout, I feel like I’m using my time more wisely and being doubly productive.

I personally enjoy watching educational videos with my workout, but you can combine this with anything you enjoy watching: a favorite TV show, the morning news, a sports game, or a podcast.

Choose something that is easy to watch and best fits your personality, especially if it’s a program that is already a part of your daily routine.

This is just a simple and tiny “life hack” if you have trouble being physically active or exercising. It’s helped me a lot and it may help you too, so it’s worth trying out.



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