Burning Calories While Watching TV
Many of us enjoy watching television as a way to relax and unwind. However, sitting in front of the TV for hours can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and weight gain over time. You may be surprised to know you can burn a significant amount of calories even while vegging out on the couch. Let's look at how many calories you can burn watching TV and tips to burn more.
Calories Burned Watching TV
The number of calories you burn watching TV depends on a few key factors:
Your Body Weight
Heavier people burn more calories than lighter people, even at rest. To estimate:
- 100 lbs - burn approx. 35 calories per hour
- 130 lbs - burn approx. 45 calories per hour
- 160 lbs - burn approx. 55 calories per hour
- 190 lbs - burn approx. 65 calories per hour
Length of TV Viewing Time
The longer you sit and watch TV, the more calories you'll burn just existing and breathing. For example:
- 30 minutes = 17.5 to 32.5 calories burned
- 1 hour = 35 to 65 calories burned
- 2 hours = 70 to 130 calories burned
- 3 hours = 105 to 195 calories burned
- 4 hours = 140 to 260 calories burned 5 hours = 175 to 325 calories burned
Level of Engagement
If you laugh, cry, get scared or angry at the TV, you'll burn slightly more calories than just passively watching. Strong emotions and reactions activate your body's stress response, increasing your heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate.
Ways to Boost Calories Burned
While just sitting and watching TV does burn some calories, you can significantly increase the amount burned by combining it with these activities:
Fidgeting
Tap your toes, shake your leg, gesture with your hands, play with your hair, or just fidget in place. All these small motions can burn up to 350 extra calories per day.
Stretching
Stretch your legs, arms, and back during show breaks. Light stretching for just 10 minutes can torch up to 35 calories.
Pacing
Get up and walk in place or pace around the room during commercial breaks. Just 5 minutes of pacing can burn up to 25 calories.
Cleaning
Straighten up during TV time by dusting, organizing, sweeping, or vacuuming. 30 minutes of light household cleaning burns around 50 calories.
Laundry
Wash, fold, iron or put away laundry to burn up to 100 calories in 30 minutes.
Playing with Pets
Burn up to 100 calories in 30 minutes of active play with your furry friends.
Light Weights
Do some simple arm raises, lateral raises, bicep curls or tricep extensions while you watch. Just 30 minutes can torch 50+ calories.
Jogging in Place
Jog or march in place to burn 150+ calories per 30 minutes.
Dancing
Groove to the TV soundtrack or put on some upbeat music while you watch and dance off up to 200 calories in 30 minutes.
Elliptical or Stationary Bike
Burn 250+ calories in 30 minutes doing light cardio on exercise equipment next to the TV.
Calorie Burning TV Watching Workouts
If you want to maximize calorie burn while enjoying your favorite shows, try these structured TV watching workouts:
The Commercial Workout
When a commercial break comes on, spring into action! Do jumping jacks, jump rope, run stairs, jump lunges, burpees, or another heart-pumping exercise until your show returns. Just 5-10 minutes can burn 50-100+ calories.
The TV Trainer
Find exercise videos or routines online or on your cable on-demand section specifically designed for at-home workouts. Mimic the exercises shown right along with your program to torch 150+ calories in 30 minutes.
Video Game Fitness
Play active video games that get you up and moving like Just Dance, Ring Fit Adventure, or Nintendo Switch Sports Boxing. Have fun burning 200+ calories in 30 minutes.
TV Yoga
Do a gentle, beginner-level yoga routine along with the instructor on the TV to strengthen, stretch and destress. In 30 minutes, you can burn 150+ calories.
Sit to Stand Squats
Each commercial break, do a set of 10-15 sit to stand squats. Simply stand up then sit back down repeatedly. This strengthens legs while burning 50+ calories in 15 minutes.
Other Ways to Burn Calories at Home
If you need a break from the TV, try these other active ideas to burn calories without even leaving the house:
- Clean the entire house - 300+ calories per hour
- Wash the car - 150+ calories in 30 minutes
- Vacuum and mop floors - 175+ calories in 45 minutes
- Rake leaves and do yardwork - 300+ calories per hour
- De-clutter and reorganize - 250+ calories per hour
- Dust ceiling fans and window sills - 125+ calories in 30 minutes
- Scrub bathroom and kitchen floors - 200+ calories in 45 minutes
- Social dancing - 200+ calories in 30 minutes
- Basic aerobics workout - 300+ calories in 60 minutes
- Active video games - 200+ calories in 30 minutes
Make TV Time More Active
It's clear sitting in front of the TV need not be a sedentary activity. By engaging in any of the calorie-burning activities above, you can transform TV time into an opportunity to improve your fitness. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity like brisk walking each week, plus muscle-strengthening exercises. Burn even more calories by reducing non-active TV time.
Stay motivated by rewarding yourself with an episode only after you've been active. Or, make activity an integral part of your TV time. With a little creativity, you can get the best of both worlds - burning calories while enjoying the programming you love.
FAQs
How many calories do you burn just sitting and watching TV?
You can burn around 35-65 calories per hour just sitting on the couch watching TV, depending on your body weight. Heavier people burn more calories at rest than lighter people.
What are some easy ways to burn more calories while watching TV?
Fidget, stretch, pace during commercials, do laundry, play with pets, use light weights, jog in place, or dance to burn 100-350 extra calories per hour while watching shows.
What kind of workouts can I do while watching TV?
Try commercial break workouts, following along with exercise videos, playing active video games, doing yoga, or doing sit-to-stand squats to burn 150-300 extra calories per hour.
How many calories does cleaning the house burn?
Light household cleaning like dusting, washing floors, scrubbing bathrooms can burn 200-300 calories per hour. Deep cleaning the entire house can torch 300+ calories per hour.
What are other good ways to burn calories at home besides watching TV?
Wash the car, do yardwork, declutter and organize, dance, do aerobics, play active games, jump rope, and do bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and planks to burn 150-300+ calories in 30-60 minutes.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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