Some days are better than others as far as exercise motivation is concerned. I know that even though I don't often fall victim to the laziness because I realize that the hardest part of all the exercise i do is putting on my shoes and going out the door either for a walk, rung, or just to go to the gym or park for some weights.
Other days though, just like most people, I succumb to the pressures, or rather lack of them, and end up staying on the sofa and watching a movie. The thing is, all is not lost in this environment, and once that movie gets a bit dull, why not stand up and do some squats next to or in front of your sofa.
While it might sound a bit silly and you certainly don't have to be as enthusiastic as the two people featured above, the sofa, depending on what kind you have, is actually the perfect place to do squats for beginners because in my experience, most people actually do squats incorrectly and could be damaging their back and knees in the process.
The trick is we all know how to sit down right? Plus presuming your sofa isn't made of cement or wood (why would you do that?) youve got a wonderful place to fall down there.
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leaning is fine, but keep your back straight no matter what
Again, STOP focusing on how many you have done. It really isn't even important to count. Just do it until you feel the burn, then do one more. Then take a break, watch a bit more of your film or tv show and then have a go at another set.
For me, on my lazy days, I feel a lot better about myself if I do just a little bit of strength training and since my living room is air conditioned, it is actually a lot more comfortable than it would be to go for a run these days as our daytime temperature is more than 100 degrees F.
The problem with squats is that in the beginning, you probably don't have the balance or strength to do them correctly and are rightfully afraid of falling over. Over time your hamstrings and glutes will become strong enough to take the task on but in the meantime, sofa squats are perfect.
Once again I want people to not be so focused on a certain number you have in mind. 10 seems to be the goal of everyone but this number is completely arbitrary. What you really should be doing is as many as you can before it starts to hurt, and then do one more.
It is really important that you keep your back straight. Most people will arch their back out of fear of falling but what you really need to do is put your upper body in a leaned forward position, with your arms outstretched to create a balance of sorts so that your weight is properly distributed over your legs. No matter what you have to do in order to make this happen, even if it means holding something in your hands you really need to keep your back straight. Also, you shouldn't be feeling pain in your knees but instead focus on your thighs and hamstrings.
Do it while hovering over the sofa for a bit and once you get the hang of it move over to the side and try to dip a bit lower.
If you are gonna be lazy, and we all have those days. It doesn't need to be a complete waste. So once that TV show or movie gets a bit boring, instead of reaching for the remote to fast-forward, why not just get up off your ass and do a few sets of squats? It doesn't really matter your level of fitness, this is something that anyone can do to a certain degree.
I put on and later lost over 50lbs by following minor, but consistent changes in my lifestyle and diet and I think that you can do the same. There are no shortcuts though... you gotta put in the work!
