When it comes to living an active lifestyle, a lot of fitness buffs wouldn’t be caught dead lying on the sofa. The phrase “get off the couch” has become all too familiar in fitness circles. And in the cooler months, it’s very tempting to sit inside instead of getting out and getting active. But whoever said that sitting on the sofa makes you a couch potato clearly hasn’t tried exercising on a sofa. If you’re eager to get in shape but prefer the comfort of your own couch, you’ll want to try these three exercises that make it easy for even the most lethargic sofa-dweller to get fit.
Tone Your Triceps with Couch Dips
The edge of your couch is a fantastic foundation for a couch dip. It’s sturdy enough to support your weight, but padded enough that it won’t hurt your hands. This exercise is a great way to build muscle tone in your arms. To perform a couch dip, you’ll want to sit on the very edge of your couch. Place your hands on the edge of the couch on the outsides of your hips, with your fingers gripping the cushion seam. Next, lift yourself up with your arms and move your feet until your knees are aligned with your heels. Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Lower your hips, keeping your back parallel to the sofa, and then bring yourself back up. Repeat this exercise 15 times.
Firm Up Your Core with Scissor Kicks
Scissor kicks are great for blasting away stubborn stomach fat and giving your upper legs a nice, toned appearance. To do this exercise, lay back on your sofa with your arms at your sides. Keep your body in a straight line by lifting your hips. Raise your left leg above you as high as you can, keeping it as straight as possible, then lower it. After 12 reps, switch to your right leg. Try doing three sets of reps per leg each day and see how toned your core gets.
Sofa Squats Will Get Those Legs Moving
Sofa squats are a great way to strengthen your legs and tone your glutes. To start, stand in front of your sofa with your arms joined in front of you. Suck in your stomach. Gently lower yourself down toward the sofa as if you were going to sit on it – but stop short of actually sitting. Next, slowly raise yourself back up and repeat the exercise. You should aim for 20 reps per session.
The sofa gets a bad rep as a contributing factor in unhealthy lifestyles, but there’s an easy way to change that. With just a few sofa-adapted exercises, you can turn “couch potato” into a coveted title and get your daily workout without spending piles of cash on a gym membership. Try these three exercises using your sofa and see what it does for your fitness routine – or better yet, come up with your own sofa exercises and get a fantastic summer beach body even during the cold winter.