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This past week I watched the Season Premiere of The Biggest Loser and found myself eating thin mint cookies. Yummy but at the same time... I felt bad about not doing something during those two-hours. So I looked to the internet and my daily emails to see if there were some things that I could work into commercial breaks.

There's the ever popular "push up" or "jumping jack" option. I will caution you that commercial breaks are much longer than they appear as discovered by my old roommate who did jumping jacks throughout one commercial break. I believe her exact words were, "This is freaking crazy... how can anyone do them for this long!"

So I found some different ones that we can do during commercial breaks. Do one during each break and you'll have some awesome ab crunching exercises done while not missing a minute of TV. 

Side Plank Up

• Lie on left side on floor with legs stacked and a rolled-up towel between your thighs, propping torso on left elbow so that left forearm is perpendicular to torso.
• Lift hips so that body forms a straight line from head to toe and squeeze towel between thighs. Hold for 1 count, then lower.
• Do 10 reps, Switch sides and repeat. Do 3 sets.

Round Back

• Sit on a folded towel on floor with shoulder blades against a wall and knees bent, feet flat; make sure back is rounded. Place hands on floor near hips, fingertips pressed into floor.
• Squeeze abs and lift feet off floor, bring knees toward chest, then straighten legs so toes point toward ceiling, Do 10 pulses: Bring legs 1 inch closer to wall, then move them back 1 inch. Make it easier; Keep left foot on floor and bring extended right leg toward you by grasping right calf with both hands. Hold for 30 seconds; switch legs and repeat.
• Do 3 sets.

Fly Up

• Sit on a folded towel on floor, lean back to rest on elbows and place feet together on a wall in front of you so that knees are bent about 90 degrees.
• Extend legs up, keeping feet against wall, then press rounded back into floor and squeeze abs as you lift arms to reach toward feet, elbows soft. 
• Do 20 pulses; curl torso up 1 inch, then lower 1 inch.
• Do 3 sets, hugging knees to chest to rest between sets.

Pelvic Scoop

• Lie face up on floor with back resting on folded towel, knees bent and feet flat on floor, arms by sides.
• Cross right ankle onto left thigh just above knee so bent right knee points out to side; flex foot so only heel rests on floor.
• Rounding lower back and squeezing abs, lift hips off floor so pelvis tilts up toward ribs. Curl pelvis as far as you can without arching back; pull abs in to lift rather than press through left heel. Lower to floor.
• Do 10 reps, holding the lift for 10 seconds on the final one. Switch sides and repeat. Do 3 sets.

C-Curve

• Stand facing a wall with legs together. squeezing rolled-up towel between thighs.
• With knees slightly bent, hinge forward at hips to place palms on wall, arms extended, so that back is barely parallel to floor.
• Squeeze abs and towel as you rise onto toes, then do 20 pulses: lower hips 1 inch, then raise them 1 inch.
• Do 3 sets.

Flat Back

• Sit on floor with lower back against a wall, knees slightly bent and feet planted wider than shoulder-width apart. Place hands on floor between legs and squeeze abs.
• Press into floor with fingertips and lift feet about 6 inches. 
• Do 3 sets of 20 reps

Twisted Curl

• Sit on a folded towel on floor with knees bent and feet flat on floor, then lean back to rest on elbows.
• Press rounded lower back into floor, squeeze abs and curl torso up toward left, lifting arms so that bot hands grasp outside of left thigh.
• Maintaining curl, release hands so that both hover to outside of thigh and do 20 pulses: curl torso up toward left by 1 inch, then lower 1 inch. 
• Switch sides and repeat. Do 3 sets.

All exercises are courtesy of Fitness. Enjoy!