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"It's the age-old dilemma: Do I collapse in front of the TV after a long day at work or do I rally with what little energy I have left and [hit the gym](/fitness/workouts/2011/11/strength-machines-slideshow) instead? We all know the answer we should give to this question, but when it comes time to choose between *Glee* vs. an hour-and-a-half long yoga class, more often than not, reality sets in and the couch wins.\\n\\nBut, according to a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, for every our spent zoning out in front of the TV, we may reduce our life expectancy by almost 22 minutes. \\\"Don't use your favorite TV show as an excuse to be lazy,\\\" says fitness expert Liza Savage-Katz. \\\"A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of health complications like heart disease, obesity--which is also a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis--and inactivity can increase your risk of joint and muscle pain, depression, fragility, overall weakness and poor posture which creates a whole host of additional health complications.\\\"\\n\\nSo, rather than breaking into a family-size bag of potato chips, why not try this upper-body workout created exclusively for SELF instead? \\\"You are capable of having a strong, healthy body when you focus on making healthy choices throughout your day,\\\" says Savage-Katz. \\\"Remember, it's about baby steps!\\\"\\n\\nIncorporate these three moves into your regular routine four times a week to tone up your back, triceps, shoulders and biceps.\\n\\n ![[#image: /photos/]||||||](http://blog.self.com/fitness/blogs/freshfitnesstips/0221Bicep%20Curls%20.jpg)__Bicep Curls__  \\n Sit at the edge of your couch with your sit bones firmly rooted and your upper-body weight evenly distributed over your sit bones. Make sure you are sitting up tall, creating one line of energy from your sit bones to the top of your head. Gaze forward (at your TV!) with your shoulders back and chest lifted. Sit with your feet hip distance apart and your feet firmly rooted into the ground. Engage your abs as you keep your chest lifted. Make sure your elbows are firmly planted next to your ribcage so that your elbows stay stationary when doing your bicep curl. Hold a light 1.5-5 pound hand weight in both hands and elbow close to your body. Curl your right hand towards your left shoulder then lower slowly. Curl your left hand toward your right shoulder and lower slowly (above). Do 10-15 reps on each side.  \\n It's important to do the proper breathing pattern when you're doing bicep curls. Any time you execute any kind of effort on your part, make sure you exhale. One thing to keep in mind is to eliminate any kind of momentum. Try not to swing your torso back and forth to avoid injuring your back.\\n\\n![[#image: /photos/57d8d8c224fe9dae3283357b]||||||](http://blog.self.com/fitness/blogs/freshfitnesstips/threewaypullaparts.jpg)\\n\\n__Three-Way Pull Aparts__  Sitting, wrap ends of resistance band (or an old pair of tights) around each hand. Connect with your breath, taking deep and even inhalations and exhalations. Extend your arms forward, raising them slightly above eye level, palms facing out. Move your hands far enough apart that you feel some tension in the band. Keeping your arms straight, move your hands away from each other, as if trying to pull the band apart. Lower the band to nose level and repeat. For the third repetition, lower band to chin level. Complete the series four times for one set. Do 2-3 sets.\\n\\n ____\\n\\n __![[#image: /photos/]||||||](http://blog.self.com/fitness/blogs/freshfitnesstips/0221%20Triceps%20Press%20.jpg)__\\n\\n__Triceps Press__\\n\\n Place your hands on either side of you at the edge of your couch. Take two steps out in front of you so, as you bend the elbows, you'll slide forward with your knees bent or legs straight (depending on how strong your triceps are). From this position, you want to make sure that your elbows stay pointed back and not flared out. You'll bend at the elbows just about 90 degrees (above) and push back up. Be careful not to go too deep because you don't want any unnecessary strain or stress on the shoulders. Repeat 10-15 times. Do 2-3 sets.\\n\\n*Studio courtesy of [Naam Yoga](http://www.naamyoga.com)*  Bonus Pose: Plank\\n\\n Kneel 3 feet from a sofa, facing away, with palms on floor directly beneath shoulders, arms straight, neck in line with spine and gaze fixed 6 inches in front of you. Place feet on sofa, hip-width apart, toes curled under. \\\"The soft cushions challenge your balance, activating your abs,\\\" says SELF fitness director Meaghan B. Murphy.*Additional reporting by Ashley Mateo*\\n\\n Related Links:  \\n[6 Moves to a Sexy Upper Body](/fitness/workouts/2012/01/sexy-upper-body-workout-moves-slideshow)  \\n[Do These Total-Body Moves in Front of the TV](/fitness/workouts/2006/10/work-out-while-watching-tv-slideshow)  \\n[The Busy Girl's 20-Minute Workout](/fitness/workouts/2012/03/busy-girl-buffer-moves-slideshow)  \\n--\\n\\nFor daily fitness tips follow SELF on [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/selfmagazine) and [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/selfmagazine).\\n\\nGet SELF on your [iPad](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id421088847) and [Kindle Fire](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063M1C6U)!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.self.com/story/the-couch-potato-workout>