Couch Potato Workouts

Well my annual family and friends Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl football game is fast approaching and of course I didn’t follow through on my goal to be in shape and ready to go all out. Even though I have “Worked Out” it has been well below what it takes to play at my full potential.

This yearly event has been going on ever since we were in high school, and has become a tradition with our families.

As we original enthusiasts have turned into the Old Farts, and are only playing once a year, we spend more time spent on the sidelines watching the younger crowd go at it. I am afraid that soooon, I may be in the category of enjoying the outing as a spectator.

Already some of the old timers come out and sit on their butts, instead of moving them on the field. They bring their morning doughnuts, and coffee, and did I forget the frosty’s for after the game?

It makes me think of how I am changing from a sports player to a "sports spectator." Later on in the day on Thanksgiving, I'll be the couch potato, chowing down on all the wrong kinds of snacks, and other delicious fattening delights that will be served up.

As I look around in the local pubs at the more vocal sports fans, I am sure that if they calculated their BMI it would be higher than more casual spectators. Their diets are mostly high fat, and fast foods are a staple rather than an exception. I have seen reviews that the true couch potatoes is also more inclined to skip breakfast more often, eat more bread and pasta, but fewer vegetables. The more rabid sports fans also drink a lot more alcohol than their more controlled spectator buddies.

I was talking to a dietitian recently who told me that the experts want to target the more zealous sports fans and somehow get them to eat better and exercise more, since they are a significant part of the new obesity statistics. The health care professionals feel that being a diehard sports fan, has some psychological benefits, but is destructive when it comes to health, obesity and disease prevention.

And many experts feel that Health Providers and the Pros’ have a great opportunity to send the Joe’s along with the rest of the fans. As I was watching the football games last week I saw the EAS sports nutrition commercials, so it is starting to have an effect.

So if you are a dedicated fan, remember that that your favorite sports hero works out constantly, for the most part eats healthy and definitely watches their personal health, so they can excel at their sport. If we fans started to copy just some of their healthier behaviors, we could lower obesity and poor health habits that we are currently at risk for.

Here are a few ways to work up to being a healthier fan:

- Have healthier snacks during TV watching - veggies and bean dip, turkey and veggie wraps, cut up fruit, baked pita chips and hummus, veggie burgers
- Have less caloric drinks and control the alcohol - one glass of light beer and then seltzers and flavored waters
- Get up and move during commercials - how about some sit ups and pushups??
- Control the amount of food you eat , mindless eating during any TV experience is a bad health habit.
- Decide or pre-portion how much you are going to eat and make it last.
- Don't have huge bowls of food out for grabbing.

So enjoy the holiday feast, but make this year the one where you don’t have to say: “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”