“Binge watching may be the new normal,” Netflix spokesman Charlotte Burke says, “but a recent survey found more than 50 percent of 1,000 respondents were willing to exercise while binge watching instead of slouching on the couch.”
Sitcoms came out on top as the favorite genre to watch while working up a sweat (36 percent), followed by serialized dramas (27 percent), sci-fi/fantasy (24 percent), and reality shows (20 percent).
Celebrity fitness guru Harley Pasternak (clients include Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kanye West and Megan Fox) suggests finding a show you love and watching it only while working out.
“Not only does it make your workouts easier,” Pasternak says, “but you end up looking forward to them more. If you only watch Breaking Bad when you’re on the treadmill, you’re going to find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day to work out.”
Pasternak crunched the hypothetical calories burned on a treadmill set at a brisk 4 mph with no incline. (Your experience may vary.)
Family Guy, one episode (22 minutes): 152.
The Walking Dead, one episode (44 minutes): 304.
House of Cards, one season (661 minutes): 4,995.
Breaking Bad, entire series (2,544 minutes): 17,553.
Example: If Kanye West (Kim Kardashian’s fiance) treadmill binged while watching all eight seasons (3,300 minutes) of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, he’d burn 22,800 calories. If 3,500 calories theoretically equals one pound, he’d shed 6.5 pounds - about the same weight as Kim’s engagement ring.
Style, Pages 34 on 01/14/2014