It’s no surprise that many collegiettes love to be healthy – or at least strive to adopt a healthy lifestyle. However, even the most active, fitness-savvy girl has days when her motivation to hit the gym is, well… nonexistent. And in moments of weakness, snuggling up with your favorite blanket while watching endless hours of reality TV really seems like the better option.
But don’t succumb to the couch just yet! We’re here to help you overcome those days of nonexistent motivation so you can get your butt to the gym. How? This list we’ve compiled of the 10 best TV shows to watch while you run it out on the treadmill or work through an interval session on the elliptical. Now you get the best of both worlds: maintaining your health and catching up on the latest TV.
Talk Shows
Talk shows are a great option to watch while working out. They are usually an hour long, allowing you to get in a high-intensity and effective cardio workout. Depending on what time of day you prefer to work out, there are various programs to choose from.
The TODAY Show
Our pick for morning exercisers is The TODAY Show. From 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. EST, Natalie, Matt, Al and Savannah cover hard news, soft news and everything in between. They are a fun crew with great TV chemistry and they typically cover healthy living topics – everything from nutrition to diet and exercise—to keep you motivated to finish your workout. From 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. EST, Kathie Lee and Hoda take over the show. Be careful while watching the two of them while you’re at the gym – it’s nearly impossible to not laugh out loud at their hilarious antics!
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
If you’re more of an afternoon or evening exerciser, then The Ellen DeGeneres Show is your best bet. It airs on weekdays at 4 p.m. EST, and if there isn’t a new episode then there will surely be a repeat! Ellen is beyond funny, she always invites great celebrity guests and she LOVES music. Her music breaks are great ways to amp up your intensity for short sprints within the hour of the show.
Reality TV
While we all may talk trash about reality TV, nobody can deny that it’s strangely addicting. Reality TV is also a great option for the gym (as long as you are comfortable being seen watching reality shows in public…).
Keeping up with the Kardashians
Our first reality TV pick is Keeping up with the Kardashians. As absurd of a family as they are, there’s just something about them that is so entertaining. A 30-minute episode flies by and you might even find yourself staying on the elliptical or treadmill longer in order to sneak in a second episode! Plus, the Kardashian sisters’ style will motivate you to look your best, maybe even resulting in a few extra minutes of exertion on your machine.
Foodie Love
Watching cooking shows while working out can be really motivational—especially if the show involves making healthy meals! If you want to watch a traditional cooking show (think a 30-minute episode where a chef prepares a meal), then Food Network is the way to go.
Giada at Home
Giada De Laurentiis’s California-style cooking is always light and fresh. The only thing that looks better than the food is her beautiful kitchen! Watching her prepare her delicious dishes will encourage you to keep pushing forward with your healthy lifestyle.
Food Network Star
If you are in the mood for something with a bit more intensity to get your heart rate up, then consider watching one of the Food Network competitions like Food Network Star. Maybe you’ll discover a new healthy recipe to try when you get home and are hungry after your amazing workout!
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Fitness Inspiration
The Biggest Loser
We love when The Biggest Loser starts up every fall. It’s an hour-long show on every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST, and its latest season starts on October 8. We guarantee it will make your workout motivation skyrocket, and you might even discover some new workout ideas, strength training routines and nutritional fixes. Warning – the show can get a bit emotional, so careful not to shed any tears on your cardio machine!
Must-Watch TV Series
If you want your cardio motivation to last a few weeks, consider starting a new TV series. The hour-long episodes will keep you moving, and we promise that you’ll be dying to go to the gym to watch the next episode (nobody likes an unresolved cliffhanger!).
Revenge
One of the most popular shows of the past two years is Revenge, which airs on ABC. It’s a primetime soap opera, which means one thing: drama! The series follows Emily Thorne, whose sole mission is to avenge the death of her father who was murdered in prison after being framed for a crime that he did not commit. Once you start watching the series, you’ll be a Revenge addict. The show features a fast-paced storyline, which will get your adrenaline pumping and power you through your workout.
Glee
Glee is one of our go-to shows for the gym because it’s an hour long, it has entertaining storylines and, most importantly, it’s filled with music and dance! Nothing gets us more pumped on a cardio machine than Lea Michele belting “Don’t Stop Believing” or Heather Morris revamping classic Britney Spears songs. Just be careful that you don’t start singing along – you might scare away the gym-goers on the machines around you!
The Good Old Days
Sometimes a trip down memory lane is comforting, so we chose two of our favorite sitcoms from the ‘90s. They both feature 30-minute long episodes, meaning you can watch a couple at a time.
Friends
We are emotionally invested in the lives of Monica, Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Ross and Phoebe. Their adventures in and around New York City are priceless and their humorous banter reminds us of our own friend groups. “Friends is the type of show that you can watch over and over again, and it never gets old,” says Nicole Snapper, a student at Boston College. “If you want a quick workout, then one episode is perfect. If you want to stretch your workout a little longer, start a second episode and you are sure to stay on your machine until it ends.” Your workout will be over before you know it once you start watching an episode or two of Friends!
Sex and the City
Carrie Bradshaw and her best girlfriends are glamorous, bold and extremely witty. The fashion alone in HBO’s Sex and the City is enough to keep us entertained enough to last through a workout! However, just a warning – only watch this series if the machines around you are unoccupied. You never know when a steamy scene might pop up on the screen!
We doubt you’ll ever run out of TV shows to watch at the gym, but if for some reason you do, movies are another great option. Check out the 10 best movies about college and make your way through them during the course of the semester.