It’s tough to get motivated when I’m watching my favorite show. How can I make myself get up and move?
Get off the couch
Sure, we all have our favorite shows. And it’s fine to watch them in moderation. Screen time becomes a problem when you watch show after show and don’t get off the couch for hours.
- How many episodes do I watch in one sitting? Are there commercial breaks?
- It can be hard to take a break from your favorite show. Some kids say:
- “I don’t have any reason to get off the couch.”
- “I get too involved with the show and lose track of time.”
- “It’s how I relax after school.”
- Can you relate? What makes it hard for you? What could you do?
Get some ideas that have worked for other kids
Turn-off plan
- Make a daily or weekly schedule. Plan when you will watch your favorite show, and when you will stop watching. Keep within the recommended time limit.
- Set a timer to limit how much time you spend watching your favorite TV show. When the timer goes off, get up and do something active.
Build activity into your screen time
- Get up after one episode to walk around, do housework, or play an active game.
- If you watch TV, turn commercial breaks into active breaks. A half-hour TV show averages 8 minutes of commercials. Use those 8 minutes to do quick bursts of high-intensity exercises, like jumping jacks or push-ups. These exercises require no equipment and you may be able to do them in the same room as your TV.
- Stand up while watching your favorite show.
- Will any of these ideas work for me? What else could I do?
