I loved this interesting way to tackle health and fitness while watching the Super Bowl. Could even be a little fun if you have a big group of people.
Pritikin Super Bowl Fitness Challenge by Fitness Expert Scott Danberg
Set up a friendly but feisty competition. We call it the “Pritikin Super Bowl Fitness Challenge.” It was created by Pritikin Fitness Director Scott Danberg, whose life’s mission is cajoling the rest of us off the couch (and what a helluva job he does!).
Here’s the game plan: Divide everyone into two teams. For maximum rowdiness and fun, do your best to put each guest on the team that he or she is rooting for on TV.
- Celebration Touchdown Dance
- Each time one of the Super Bowl teams scores a touchdown, the same team in your living room does a Celebration Touchdown Dance, and (here’s the best part) the opposing team must copy the dance! Go all out! Include chanting of your team’s name, arm movements symbolizing letters of your team’s name, dance it up… live it up. Then kick the competition off the couch and have them copy it. (No shortcuts allowed!)
- Field Goal Squats
- Each time your team scores a field goal, get up from the sofa for 10 body weight squats. The opposing team then performs 15! For guests who have (or say they have) joint pain with squats, they can do seated leg marches instead.
- Fumble Ball Push-Ups
- For each fumbled ball, the retrieving team gets down on the floor for 5 push-ups; the opposition team does 10 push-ups! (Push-up-challenged guests can do wall, table, or from-the-knees push-ups.)
- Interception Arm Circles
- For each interception, the retrieving team stands up and spreads out for 15 forward arm circles; the opposition gets up for 15 forward and 15 back arm circles! (For the arm-circle-challenged, any pain-free range of movement using the arms will do.)
- Foul Marches
- For each foul that results in a penalty of yards, the non-penalized team stands and marches in place for one minute. The penalized team hoofs it for two minutes! Seated leg marching is fine for those with ambulatory challenges. (Alcohol-induced challenges don’t count!)
- Quarterback Sack Crunches
- For each quarterback sack, the team delivering the sack falls to the floor for 10 abdominal crunches; the opposition then drops for 20 abdominal crunches. (Crunch-challenged teammates can do seated straight leg lifts.)
- Half Time Whossiers
- At half time, the team winning dances to a Who song (“Awesome band for us baby boomers” laughs Coach Scott). The losing team dances to two Who songs. If the game is tied, everyone dances two songs! During half time, everyone takes a few minutes to stretch and enjoy healthy snacks to fuel up for the second half.
- Grand Finale Celebration Dance
- At the end of the game, the winning team performs a rousing Grand Finale Celebration Dance that the losing team – yep, you guessed it – must match!
- Every movement counts
- Do you think all of these get-up-from-the-couch activities are worthless? Think again. Research published just last week in the American Heart Association journal Circulation tracked 8,800 people for six years and found that the more hours they sat in front of the TV, the greater their risk of dying from any cause, especially cardiovascular disease. Yes, this is a duh finding, but there’s more. The findings held true not just for couch potatoes but for regular exercisers – people who put in on average 30 to 45 minutes of exercise a day.
Jenn @therebelchick says
These sound like fun little activities! I will be at a “party” while on a press trip and think I could really liven things up if I did these! LOL!
Colleen says
You are just all over the place these days LOL!
Alicia K says
Great idea to get moving!
rachel @runningrachel says
Great idea!! Thanks. Although I don’t plan on watching much of the game… this is a great idea for those who ARE! 🙂
Colleen says
This is the one game I do always watch with my husband.
Penelope (NYC Blogger) says
I love these! I actually really get my buns moving, squats will help me, lol
Tammy S says
These sound like fun ways to get everyone involved. It also might make you think a little more about what you are eating during the game.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
That’s a great way to stay fit while watching.
Julie Wood says
This is a great blog post to get myself moving tomorrow because the food is going to be fattening! I am going to make sure I walk a lot tomorrow. I walk every day, but I am going to make sure I walk extra. Also I like these exercises to do while watching the game!
Heather says
This is great! I love the idea of a Simon Says esque dance off. Ha!
Elle says
These sound really fun! I won’t get the chance for a super bowl party this year so I’ll be watching it from a boring treadmill. I guess the upside is that I won’t overindulge either! Oh well, there’s always next year 🙂
Colleen says
We don’t do a “party” we just do snacks and decorate for just us. The kids enjoy it.
Wendy T says
Sounds like a fun thing for a gathering tomorrow. I could really use it…I’ve been sedentary lately.
Stephanie says
This is such a great idea! I never thought of doing something like this!
Brandy says
Touchdown dance! How coool would that be for kids! Love the ideas.
Colleen says
Oh my son would be totally all over that, he once started break dancing at my sisters wedding and everyone cleared the floor for him (I think he was about 5)
Theresa says
What a great way to get active.
Stefani says
Sounds like a great idea!
Chickie says
I love this! I’ve seen these around the web for different tv shows like Big Bang or the bachelor. Such a fun and great idea.
Jacob says
That’s a funny idea. It’s like a reversed drinking game or something. I would like to say I am going to follow these but in reality I know I will just pig out and not do anything positive (movement) to counter it, haha!
Colleen says
Yeah I know what you mean.
Sheri says
Great ideas! I’m skipping the Super Bowl, lol.
Colleen says
That doesn’t happen at our house LOL. It is one game I will watch with hubby though I prefer it when I’m in a Super Bowl pool.
Lolo says
A touchdown dance sounds like a fun idea!
Leilani says
I’m so not looking forward to the Superbowl tomorrow, but these are some great ideas. 🙂
Lisa - Between the Kids says
Awesome ideas! I’m going to keep this open for the superbowl so I’ll remember the “rules”. Thanks Colleen!
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} says
Better than noshing on greasy goodies.
Meghan @JaMonkey says
HAHA These are hilarious!
Elaina- A Time Out for Mommy says
Great way to get your exercise in for the day!
Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy says
I’m not watching the Super Bowl but I love the idea of getting active during the game.
Stefani says
These are some great ideas!
Eileen says
We didnt have to have special exercised during the game…we were chasing a 15 month and two dogs during the game. Does that count?
Seriously, this year we didnt pig out much. We cooked a regular dinner but “beefed” it up a bit with some steaks and mushrooms, shrimp and guac. with light chips. I made bars but we didnt even hit them. So we counterbalanced our slight lack of exercise with better Superbowl food fare.
Shell Fruscione says
What a fun idea!
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins says
What a fun idea! I definitely need to get to moving!
Tricia Nightowlmama says
just think there was an extra 27 minutes you could of exercised too when the lights wen tout lol
Vanessa says
great tips so you’re not sitting all day. any cardio is good.
Susan says
I don’t really iike watching sports, but the exercise ideas are defineltely interesting. Thanks for letting me visit.
Susan
Donna says
I actually walked around my family room during the game, and sat down during the commercials. 🙂
Alison King says
This is such a great idea! They should design them for all different TV shows to keep people moving!
Toni says
This is a fun way to stay active while watching the game. Love these ideas.
Jo-Ann Brightman says
What a wonderful idea for all of us coach potatoes. I actually sometimes do exercises during regular commercials if I am not switching channels!!