There's no point sitting on the couch like a lump. Even when your favourite shows are one, you can still find time for a quick wotkout to help keep you nimble. How? Use the breaks in your favourite TV shows to get stretching.

1. Glute and hip stretch

Lie on your back with your left foot off the ground and your thigh vertical. Take your right leg off the ground and place the outside of your right ankle on your left thigh, just below the knee, so that your legs form a triangle. Hold your left hamstring with your left hand. By pulling your right thigh closer to you, you'll increase the stretch in your glute. Repeat on the other side.

2. Shoulder stretch

Stand and hold your left arm up in the air. Bend the elbow so that your hand rests, palm inwards, between your shoulder blades. Grab your left elbow with your right hand and pull down to increase the triceps (rear upper arm) stretch. Now, keeping your left arm where it is, take your right hand to your tailbone, palm outwards, and then bring your two hands together along your spine. You'll feel a triceps stretch in your right arm and a shoulder stretch in your left arm. Repeat on the other side.

3. Hamstring stretch

Sit on the ground with both legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your right knee so that your lower leg is pointing out to your right. Draw the right foot back as far as you can manage. The position you'll end up in resembles that of a hurdler in the moment they are clearing a hurdle. Keeping a straight back, bend forward at the hips, squaring your torso up to your right leg. Keep your leg straight and have your ankle at 90 degrees. Repeat on the other side.

4. Hip flexors and obliques

Assume a lunge position with your back knee resting on the ground. Lunge forward and slightly arch your torso backwards to accentuate the stretch in your hip flexor. Take the arm that is opposite to the front leg up and diagonally backwards, so you add your side and underarm muscles to the stretch. Repeat on the other side.

5. Lower back stretch

Lie flat on your back with your right leg extended and flat on the ground. Lift your left leg off the ground so that your thigh is vertical and your knee is at 90 degrees. Hold the outside of your left knee with your right hand and pull the leg across your body. As you do this, keep your left shoulder flush with the ground. Keep drawing the knee across and aim to get as close to the ground as you can. Be careful not to force it and stop if you feel any back pain. Repeat on the other side.

Bending: the rules

• As you stretch, use a deep and relaxed breathing pattern. On each exhale, move slightly further into the stretch.
  
• Before exercising, hold each stretch for six to 10 seconds to warm up. After exercising, hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds to gain flexibility.
• Your muscles need time to be gently eased into each stretch. Speed kills the effect. Move slowly and listen to your body.
• Relax If you're tense as you stretch you'll simply play tug-of-war with your muscles. Try to completely relax the target muscle and ease further into the stretch once it allows you to.
• Pushing a stretch into a painful zone will quickly trigger your body into protective mode where it thinks you're going to tear a muscle. Your body will fight the stretch and you'll get nothing out of it.

Our model

Blake Gray, 19, from Bateau Bay, NSW, is a part-time personal trainer and aspiring stuntman. He also enjoys swimming and taekwondo.