Having trouble finding time to exercise? What about all that time you spend watching TV? According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than four hours of TV each day (that comes to 28 hours a week, or the equivalent of two months of nonstop TV watching per year), which means that in an average 65-year life, a person will have spent nine years glued to the tube! So why not get some exercise in while trying to unravel the latest mystery on CSI?

We've got some simple and effective exercises that can be done right in your own family room while you're watching TV. On average, an hour-long program runs between 42-44 minutes, with the rest of the time allotted for commercials. So if you can just incorporate some mini exercise bouts in between segments of your favorite shows, you can achieve a 15-30 minute workout in any given evening. It's easy!

Commercial Break Workout #1:
Wall or Couch Push-Ups (Tones chest, back of arms)

1. Facing a wall, stand about 2 feet away and place your hands on the wall shoulder-width apart.
2. Slowly bend your arms, and lower your body toward your hands.
3. Hold, and then press up again. Repeat 12-15 times.

(To make this a little harder, you could begin by kneeling on the floor about 2 feet from a couch or chair. Cross your ankles, and place your hands shoulder-width apart on a cushion edge. Slowly bend your arms, and lower your upper body until your chest touches the cushion.)

Follow immediately with...

Walking in Place (Cardio, tones legs)

1. Depending on your fitness level, this can be done seated or standing, slow or fast.
2. Continue walking (or jogging) in place until the commercials are over.

(For an added variation to help increase your fitness level, try adding intervals by walking/jogging fast in place for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds slow, and repeat 4 times.)

Commercial Break Workout #2:
Chair or Couch Sit-Ups (Tones abdominals)

1. Begin by sitting with just your butt on the front edge of a chair or couch, feet straight out, heels on the floor or just off the floor.
2. Place hands across your chest and slowly lean back until your back touches the back of the couch or chair or until you feel your abdominals tighten and contract.
3. Hold for 2 seconds, and then keeping your abdominal muscles tightly contracted, crunch forward.
4. Repeat 12-15 times, working up to 20 repetitions.

Follow immediately with...

Alternating Toe Touches (Cardio, tones legs, abs)

1. Stand facing your TV and extend your left leg out straight and touch your toe with your right hand. (If you cannot reach your toes then touch your knees.)
2. Repeat same movement with other leg and hand.
3. Continue to do this until you have completed 12-15 repetitions or until the commercials are over.

1. Sit on the edge of a chair (or couch) with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Cross your arms over your chest, and press the heels of your feet into the floor.
3. Stand slowly, taking 2 full seconds to rise, squeezing your butt muscles as get up. Keep your abdominals tight and your back straight.
4. Hold, then slowly lower yourself (pushing your butt back behind you) taking another 2 full seconds before touching your butt to the couch or chair.
5. Repeat 12-15 times.

(A more advance version is to not touch the chair before standing; just squat low enough that you would almost touch, hold this squat for 2 seconds, and then rise for 2 seconds.)

Follow immediately with...

Butt Kicks (Cardio, tone legs, back of thighs)

1. Standing in place, bend your leg at the knee, bringing your heel back trying to "kick your butt."
2. Continue this by alternating legs until the commercials are over.

(A more advance version is to do this same movement fast or in a jogging fashion.)

Commercial Break Workout #4:
Seated Leg Extensions With Pillow (Tones lower body)

1. Begin by sitting completely on a couch or chair so that the back of your knees are touching the cushion.
2. Place a pillow between your feet and slowly extend and straighten your legs out in front of you.
3. Once your legs are out straight, concentrate on squeezing that pillow and flexing your leg muscles for 2-4 seconds and slowly lower.
4. Repeat 12-15 times.

Follow immediately with...

Stairs or Step-Ups (Cardio, tones butt, legs)

1. Walk up and down a flight of stairs until the commercials are over.
2. Try to get in 2-3 flights.

(If you do not have a set of stairs, find about an 8-12 inch box (that can withhold your weight), ledge or step and proceed by stepping up with right foot, then left foot, down with right foot, then left foot—repeat until commercials are over. Try to get in 10 repetitions.)

Commercial Break Workout #5:
Pillow Pass Feet to Hands (Tones abdominals)

1. While lying comfortably flat on your back on your couch, head resting on a pillow or flat, hold another pillow firmly between your feet and bending your knees slightly, bring your feet towards your hands and pass the pillow to your hands.
2. Once holding the pillow in your hands, slowly lower and straighten your legs out and touch heels to the couch.
3. Then continue by bending knees slightly and bringing your feet up towards your hands and pass the pillow back to your feet.
4. Repeat 10-15 times.