Even if she kept you up all night, you can still workout today!

photo by flickr user flatiron32

So, you are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day... like Alexander in one of my favorite kid's books. Maybe you had to work late last night or the baby screamed all night. You feel blah, and all you want to do is to hide in your PJs and get lost in the Today Show. Yeah, I hear that! I have been there too (in fact, today is one of those days for me!). So, I developed a workout for those of you who really don't want to leave your house, or for that matter, the comfy living room.

First of all, you can burn calories while watching TV. I used to do it all the time and never tell anyone. Now I admit it freely, because it helped me to get into shape. Here it is, my 30-minute workout for the blahs...

Stand up, but don't change the channel. Just march in place or lightly jog for 10 minutes. Lift the knees up and hold in your abdominals. During the first commercial break, do some push ups and crunches. Now, for another couple of minutes (five to 10), do some simple jump rope moves, without a rope. Just pretend that you rock at jumping rope and dance around the room. If you must pause to get a better look at that hot celebrity being interviewed on the TV, stop and perform some squats or lunges while you are still. During the next commercial break, try a few more push ups, or try some triceps dips off of a nearby chair. Don't stop moving until your show is over. After the show, for about five minutes or so, stretch your body out, making sure to breathe deeply.

Doesn't that feel better? You are now probably sweating and you may have to change out of the PJs. How is this for multitasking? You have now burned some calories, caught up on watercooler chit chat, and may feel just good enough to get on with your day. If not, just chill out and watch the next rerun of your favorite 80s sitcom or Ellen. You accomplished a workout, and you should feel proud!

Eva Johnson is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified personal trainer. She lives in chaos with her husband, two boys and a shedding Labrador Retriever. To see her complete blog about her journey to stay sane and in shape, visit www.fitnessbyeva.com.