“You don’t think I keep this figure by lounging in the captain’s chair, do you?” Photo by Flickr user Bob Bekian, used under Creative Commons License.
Inspired by the new year, my holiday eating spree, and the original Doctor Who exercise program, I’ve decided to help us all out by developing an exercise regimen for all of the Star Trek series. Whether you just catch an episode here and there, or if you haven’t ever seen the show (like my kids), working an exercise routine into your entertainment makes for an efficient and fun way to spend your time. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but my New Year’s Intention is for 2013 to be the year my kids and I (and my boyfriend, who also hasn’t seen any Star Trek) dive into The Original Series with both feet, working our way through the episodes from the very beginning. So, to keep us all from being couch potatoes, here are some exercises to do while watching Star Trek: TOS. Every time you see or hear the listed item, do the exercise that follows.
- Uhura opening hailing frequencies.
15 jumping jacks - Kirk’s shirt comes off.
10 push-ups - Kirk hitting on a female, regardless of species.
10 lunges - Spock: “Fascinating.”
butterfly stretch - Spock raises his eyebrow.
10 twists - Spock shows “Live Long and Prosper” sign.
hurdler stretch - Scotty: “I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Cap’n!”
10 front kicks - Scotty giving a repair estimate.
10 cherry pickers - Any talk on Scotty’s part about dilithium crystals.
10 toe touches - Bones: “Damn it, Jim. I’m a doctor, not a _____!”
10 crunches - Bones: “He’s dead, Jim.”
10 squats - Bones cursing Spock’s Vulcan logic.
10 side crunches on each side - Battle scenes, when everyone awkwardly pretends to fall to the left and right.
10 side stretches on each side - A Red Shirt dies.
1 sun salutation
Give it a try! Can you make it through a whole hour-long episode on your feet? I’ll be posting exercises for the other Star Trek series in the weeks to come, so start planning your viewing marathons workouts now.
Note: Star Trek is available to watch on Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix, among other places.
