By Robin Steckley

For all of you who love to hibernate from November to March I’ve discovered the solution to staying fit during long cold winters.

  I call it the sixty second workout.   There is no magic program that will strengthen your muscles or improve your cardio without time and effort, but this program will let you watch your favourite television show in the warmth of your family room. 

It’s very simple; we’re going to exercise during commercials. By the end of a one hour show we’ll have worked each muscle group, doing one set of exercises during each commercial. We’ll start with the arms, doing arm push/pulls. These can be done sitting but I recommend standing with arms held out at shoulder level and fingertips curled together.  Pull one against the other as hard as you can to a count of 10. Next place palms together and push as hard as you can to a count of 10. Continue for length of commercial. Sit down, relax and enjoy your show!

For our next break we will focus on our stomachs with crunches and seat walks. Crunches  are done by lying on the floor, rounding your back out so your lower back is touching the floor and lifting shoulders three to four inches from the floor: hold for a count of two and lower your back to the floor. Repeat 10 times. 

For seat walks sit with your knees bent and your arms held out level to your shoulders. Bend your elbows slightly for balance. Raise your feet off the floor and scoot along the floor by lifting and moving from one side of your buttocks to the other for a count of ten.  Repeat until commercial is over; as your show begins lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest to stretch your stomach muscles.

Now we’ll focus on our buttocks.  First we’ll do heel rolls by lying on our stomachs, head resting on our arms. With legs slightly apart and relaxed, contract your buttock muscles, rolling your heels inward until they are touching. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax for a  count of 10. Repeat until commercial is over.

Moving down the body we’ll focus on the legs now with chair squats.  Yes, we do have to get out of the chair. Start by standing straight in front of it. With your back straight, bend your knees and lower yourself slowly as if you were sitting down until your butt is almost touching the chair. Slowly straighten up, again keeping your back straight. Repeat 10 times.

Next we’ll do Russian splits. With your left foot in front of your right, bend your knees until your hands touch the floor. Jump in the air, straightening your back and switching legs as you go. As you come back down, bend your knees again until your hands are touching the floor. Repeat for a count of 10. I think you know the routine now. Continue to repeat these two exercises until the commercial ends.

Last we’ll stretch. Sitting on the floor, bend your right knee and place your right foot on the outside of your left leg, turning your upper body in the opposite direction to the right leg. Hold for a count of 50. Switch legs. Lying on the floor, pull your right leg to your chest and count to 50: switch legs. Sitting up, bend towards your feet and hold your ankles. Count to 50 and release. Standing, raise your right arm level with your shoulders and bend at the elbow. Place your left hand on your elbow and pull towards your left shoulder.  Hold for the usual count, release and reverse.

You’ve taken time for you, watched your favourite show and guaranteed you’ll be fit not flabby come the first signs of spring. Now that is multi-tasking at its finest. If this sounds too complicated, put on your jacket and mitts and join me out there in the cold. Either way you’ll be fit.

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