Game time is this weekend. Are you ready to bring your A-game? For most of us, the Super Bowl is another event that challenges our commitment to a healthy lifestyle. With all the friends and food, it’s easy to write off Super Bowl Sunday as a cheat day and make up for the mistakes later. The Super Bowl may be about the battle between the Giants and the Patriots, but for many of us, it’s about the battle between ourselves and the buffet table.

Make a conscious decision to make this year different. You can enjoy the festivities while making it worthwhile… I’ll tell you how. Follow these three easy tips to make this Super Bowl a healthy touchdown.

1) Take Advantage of Your Time

By sitting on the couch, we burn around 60 calories/hour. Now, imagine how much you can burn when you use the time watching the Super Bowl to increase that rate to 100, 150, 200 calories/hour… all without weights or the gym. Watching Super Bowl commercials gives you the perfect opportunity. Set a cue in your mind, whenever a commercial comes on, do the following exercises:

• Ab Contractions. Sit straight in your chair. Contract your stomach and hold for 5 seconds. Relax and Breathe. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
• Bicep Curls. Place your right elbow on your right knee, your other hand resting on your left thigh. Grab a weight (or a can or a drink!) with your right hand and raise it to your right shoulder. Lower the weight back down until your arm is extended below the knee. Repeat 10 times and then switch to the left side.
• Single Leg Lifts. Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the ground. Lift your left leg and straighten it in front of you. Hold for five seconds and lower back down. Switch and raise your right leg. Straighten it in front of you and hold for five seconds… lower back down. Repeat for 10 lifts on each leg.
• Get up. Every commercial, after finishing your exercises, stand up and walk around for one minute. Socialize with friends, play with the kids, and help clean up the house, anything to get you up and moving.

If you want something to help you exercise during the game, my Body Sculpt Kit offers so many tools that you can use for a quick workout. Use bands instead of weights, straps to help with stretching, a core ball to tone your waist, and much more. Learn more here.

2) Watch Out for Liquid Calories

Calories from soda, juice, and beer can add up quickly, especially at an event like the Super Bowl. Soda has an average of 176 calories/16 oz., beer has 200 calories/16 oz., juice has 204 calories/16 oz. You can see how the calories can add up when you start having three, four, five drinks during the game. It’s okay to indulge in a drink, just be sure to keep track of how many you have. To help keep the calories low, try switching to water whenever possible. You can cut your intake in half if you alternate between can of soda and a glass of water.

3) Portion Control

The Super Bowl is famous for the huge displays of food filled with mostly poor choices for a healthy diet. None of us can be all-star healthy eaters every day of the year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart about how we handle those tough days. When you go for food, be sure to take a plate and select small portions of whatever food you are eating. Don’t linger at the table or an endless appetizer plate. If you stay in control of the portions that you eat, you’ll significantly reduce your intake for the day.

Remember, healthy living is about getting the most enjoyment out of life. It shouldn’t feel like a burden or limit you from enjoying events like the Super Bowl. If you make little changes and stick to them, you can indulge a little this Sunday while staying on track to getting your body fit and staying healthy.