How to Stay Healthy While Binge-Watching Hulu

If you love sitting in front of the TV and binge watching Hulu, don’t apologize! You work hard and deserve to spend your free time however you please. We’re not here to judge, and you shouldn’t let anyone put you down, popcorn crumbs and all.

But, while binge watching Hulu can be a wonderful stress reliever that relaxes your body and mind, this habit can also lead to a sedentary lifestyle. And unfortunately, the less you move, the greater your risk of overeating and gaining weight. This can lead to a host of other health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and more.

No one is suggesting that you give up your Hulu weekends and evenings. But, if you’re looking to add more healthy habits into your life alongside your favorite streaming service, there are a few simple, creative ways to incorporate healthier activities into your binge watching sessions.

1. Choose your snacks wisely.

No binge watching session is complete without a few snacks. But, just because snacking and watching TV go hand-in-hand doesn’t imply loading up on sugary or fatty foods. If you prefer a snack, choose your snacks carefully. There are plenty of healthy alternatives for satisfying the munchies and avoiding weight gain.

Instead of potato chips, cookies or cake, stock up on low-calorie alternatives like fresh fruit, raw veggies, plain popcorn, hummus or baked tortilla chips with homemade pico de gallo. Because you’re not moving, the less fat, sugar and calories you consume, the better.

Get into a habit of reading food labels. This way, you know the amount of calories and fat in the foods you eat.

2. Take five-minute activity breaks between shows.

When you are binge watching TV, you can easily not move for hours. This is a recipe for disaster. To avoid this, set a timer reminding yourself to move around after every show or movie. Whether it’s three minutes or five minutes, you can walk around the room, do a few jumping jacks or jog in place. This gets the blood circulating, plus short bursts of activity give your metabolism a boost. When you speed up your metabolism, you burn more calories and lose weight.

Do this six times a day and you’ll add 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

3. Cut out sugary drinks.

Even if you’re not munching on junk food all day, you might drink more calories than you burn. This can happen if you’re consuming cans of soda or sugary fruit juices. Be selective and choose low calorie beverages. Instead of soda or juice, drink a cup of coffee, water or unsweetened tea. Add fruit to a pitcher of ice cold water to make an amazingly refreshing and low-calorie drink.

4. Be active while watching TV.

When it comes to burning calories, any type of movement counts, including simple things like leg lifts with an exercise ball while sitting in front of the TV. Try sitting and bouncing on an exercise ball for an entire show – this is fun and effortless, and can burn about 100 calories in 20 minutes.

If you don’t have an exercise ball, you can also burn extra calories fidgeting—up to an additional 300 calories a day. Tap your feet, drum your finger or shake your leg. It may sound crazy, but crazy works!

Binge watching is fun and addicting. But it can also turn you into a couch potato and contribute to overeating. If you feel you’re taking in more calories than you’re burning and you don’t have the time or energy to hit the gym, no worries! There’s plenty you can do at home in your spare time. Remember, any activity is better than none, so get started today!