Be a Couch Potato

Who wants to be a couch potato? Well, as a matter of fact, many people do, and for understandable reasons. Maybe it's your one day off, maybe you just got back from practice, or maybe you had a hard week at work. Maybe you're tired and just want to flee everything intellectually and physically demanding for a time. It could also be a divorce or losing a close one, in which case you don't want to talk or see anyone for a certain period of time.

Whatever the reason, you can be a prime example of a couch potato by crashing on the couch and using the fun techniques outlined here, aimed at helping you to find the ultimate relaxation in front of the TV.

Steps

  1. Prepare the couch potato spot. Choose the best place in the room for Recline and Use a Computer in complete comfort. If there's competition for the best spot, reserve it, or do a deal to get it for your couch potato slouch time. Perfect places to sit include a recliner chair, beanbag, or (you knew it was coming) a couch.
    • Add cushions, pillows, blankets, and anything else that will increase your comfort level. Make it even more comfortable than it already is, but with minimal effort, of course!
    • Angle the couch for optimal TV viewing if it's not already in position.
    • Be sure to have the Clean a Remote Control (or controls) all within easy reach of your chosen spot. A TV guide is also a good item to keep handy.
    • It's a good idea to locate a small trash can near the couch so that you can toss packaging, lids, and anything else hassling you straight into it without having to get up. It makes cleaning up after your couch potato experience a breeze.
  2. Prepare the sustenance. A couch slouch needs to be accompanied by snacks and drinks. Junk food is a couch potato's traditional fare but you don't have to stick to just chips, nuts, candies, and chocolate. You might also like unbuttered popcorn, veggie sticks and dips, pumpkin seeds, toast, and jam, etc. Basically, whatever you enjoy consuming in front of the TV is the best choice!
    • Drinks can range from water, juice, milk, and soda, to beer, wine, and spirits. If you've got a bar fridge nearby, keep them cool and handy. If not, find a helper willing to fetch for you when you run out of your favorite drink.
  3. Prepare the couch distractions. While the main aim of being a couch potato is to watch TV, the occasional distraction is welcome. Stock up on celebrity magazines, comic books, graphic novels, handheld games machines, iPad or laptop for surfing at leisure, and maybe a pack or cards for a game of Solitaire. If you've got a Wii, Playstation, Xbox, or any other game device, make sure it's all in order and ready to play.
    • When surfing, places to find out key information about what you're watching include Hulu, IMDB, and Fancast, as well as the TV show's own homepage. The modern couch potato no longer has to lie there wondering "who's that guy?!" when a flick of the iPad placed right next to your couch can reveal all.
    • If you're not so keen to watch what's on TV, have a pile of Organize Your DVDs already slotted in to go, or access to paid movies via your provider.
    • Have your favorite video games sorted and ready to play.
  4. Deal with the potential for distractions. If there are other members of the household wanting to use the same room or even couch, it's deal time. Negotiate your space for the duration of your couch potato relaxation and ask politely that they either don't disturb you, or join in. The more couch potatoes, the merrier, provided they're all on the same wavelength.
    • Turn off all phones; don't forget to unhook the landline.
    • Turn off or go invisible on your Facebook, Skype, and Gmail chat programs, and any other chat program that lets people know you're online. That way, unless you feel like chatting while being a couch potato, an occasional surf from the couch won't alert anyone to your presence.
  5. Enjoy your sojourn on the couch. You've set everything up, removed the distractions, and settled in. Now it's time to enjoy your couch potato fest.
    • Turn on the TV. Flip through TV channels if you don't like what's on. Channel surfing can take up a good deal of time until it bores you. Give each show about 10 seconds to entertain you, and if it doesn't, just move onto the next one. If it does, watch until the show ends, or until you lose interest.
    • Munch on snacks and sip your drinks.
    • Play video games when the TV gets too boring. Or do both at the same time – watch TV and play a game.
    • Watch DVDs if you don't like the TV programming.
    • Snooze as and when you like.
    • Basically, don't do anything that requires much effort, or any effort at all. Take care not to play any video games that are too strenuous and require you to move too much!
  6. Bribe some servants. Siblings, friends, or housemates might be amenable to being bribed into fetching more food and drinks for you if you're lucky. Your luck will depend on who you ask and how, as well as what's in it for them. Be super nice and suck up to them; promise them something similar in return when they want to do the couch potato. Or just give in to their choice of TV for half an hour.
  7. Exercise the couch potato way. If you're feeling a bit guilty that you haven't been to the gym that day because you were just too pooped, try these couch potato exercises while continuing to watch TV:[1]
    • Lie across your couch, on your back. Bring one knee up to your chest, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Repeat three times with alternate legs.
    • Briefly stand up and hold your arms out to the sides. While watching TV, make eight big circles in one direction, then eight in the other direction.
    • While standing, raise one foot and use it to trace the letters of the alphabet in the air in front of you (use the couch arm to support you). Repeat with the other foot. Then lie on the floor and tense your thigh and abdominal muscles. Raise one leg about 6 inches (15 cm) off the ground, then lower. Repeat four to six times before switching to the other leg.
    • Get back on the couch now, you're probably exhausted.
  8. Be a couch potato in moderation. Obviously, following a couch potato lifestyle daily isn't conducive to good health, and a sedentary lifestyle without proper exercise and Create a Nutrition Plan is the cause of numerous preventable health problems, including ones that can lead to early death.[2] It's also a really bad message to send to any kids around you.[3] However, a couch potato session undertaken now and then as part of lifestyle focused on a healthy diet and exercise won't do you any harm, and will improve your sense of well-being as a result of the pleasure and relaxation derived from it.
    • Make it a friends' affair. Socializing with people you care about and have fun with is better than health insurance.

Tips

  • Watching TV in bed may enhance your couch potato experience.
  • Having a subscription to an online movie renting service (like Netflix) makes things easier when someone won't rent you a movie.
  • When eating food items that are crumbly (such as chips) don't even bother cleaning it up. Or, if you're super sensitive to a mess or crumbs, have plenty of paper towels on hand and use that trash can to stuff it all out of sight.
  • Only get up if absolutely necessary, for example, to go to the bathroom!
  • Don't open blinds, if you're on a device it might hurt your eyes or head.

Warnings

  • Get up for something serious, like a fire. You don't want to lose your life just because you're a couch potato, do you?
  • A sedentary lifestyle is an unhealthy one; this article is advocating being a couch potato for infrequent relaxing chillouts, not as a permanent habit.
  • Sitting for too long can lead to a sore backside, and all the snacks could make you fat.

Things You'll Need

  • A couch
  • A TV
  • A remote
  • A cable or satellite service
  • Snacks, and some
  • Movies, DVDs
  • Drinks
  • Video games and player
  • Magazines, comics, novels, whatever tickles your fancy

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Camille Noe Pagan, Couch Potato Exercises, http://www.arthritistoday.org/fitness/motivation/couch-potato-exercises.php
  2. ↑ Wikipedia, Sedentary lifestyle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedentary_lifestyle
  3. ↑ Fiona McCrae, Britain's couch potato children are now among the fattest in Europe, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-566726/Britains-couch-potato-children-fattest-Europe.html
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