Denise Austin's Fit Over 50 Jump Start Your Fall!

I receive thousands of messages every week from women all over the country asking me for advice. They not only want to share their weight concerns with me, but also wonder how they can find and harness the energy missing from their lives. They ask me what I eat, how I have so much energy, how I always stay “up,” how I flattened my tummy after menopause, how to maintain youthful-looking skin, and more. As I celebrate my 40th year in the health and fitness industry, my years of experience have given me the insight that I share here—the goal is to help you feel better, physically and emotionally! In the following pages, you’ll find easy exercise moves that target your midsection, arms, legs and buttocks to help you achieve…

Autumn is officially upon us, and being a season for rejuvenation, it’s a great time to recharge not only our minds and spirits but also our bodies—and Denise has the perfect exercise plan to help you jump-start your fall. “As a mother, a wife and a busy career woman, I know all too well how challenging it can feel to try to carve out a chunk of personal time to accomplish goals while balancing family, career and other responsibilities,” Denise explains. With this 21-Day Fall Refresh Workout, however, all you need is 12 minutes a day—really! Denise concentrates on using the most effective equipment and routines for her workouts to maximize results in a minimum amount of time, our most precious resource. This exercise plan utilizes two pieces of strength-training…

Denise feels strongly that the stability ball and resistance bands are vital fitness accessories for busy people. The research is clear: These are some of the most effective tools you can use to firm up and slim down. The stability ball has been shown in study after study to outperform the floor, chair or weight benches as a workout aid. One Canadian study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that exercisers more effectively toned their muscles when completing sessions seated on a stability ball compared to an exercise bench or chair. The unstable nature of the ball required the exercisers to use more effort to perform each movement. Another study in the journal Physical Therapy showed that exercisers used more muscle fibers in their abdomens to…

Better Posture The stability ball forces you to maintain proper spinal alignment, making it very difficult to hurt yourself or cheat on a movement. It encourages your spine and the muscles around the spine to maintain alignment, which will improve your posture. Improved Balance Your balance can start to deteriorate in your 40s as your muscles weaken and your nerve receptors begin to lose sensitivity. The ball reverses this aging process by stabilizing your core. Well-Rounded Fitness The curved surface of the ball and the flexible resistance of the band allow you to perform stretching and toning moves with a greater range of motion, targeting every muscle from every angle. This helps create a long, lean and toned appearance.…

Using the ball can do wonders for your tummy. You only have to do a few repetitions of any of these core exercises and you really feel it. When doing each exercise, pay careful attention to your body alignment. A few repetitions of an exercise done correctly, to completely work your abdomen, are better than 20 sloppy ones. Remember: quality over quantity! 1. AB CRUNCH Sit on the ball with your knees bent and feet firmly on the floor. Slide your torso until your upper and lower back are on the ball. Cross your arms over your chest. Lift your torso, contract your abs, and roll up. Imagine curling the bottom of your rib cage and your pelvic bone toward each other. Then slowly roll back down. Do 12 reps.…

Combine the smooth resistance of the band with the instability of the ball and what do you get? Long, lean and strong biceps, triceps and shoulders that will make you feel more confident and energetic. As you lift and lower the band, try to make fluid movements rather than jerky ones. Also be sure to maintain good posture—a long spine, relaxed shoulders, an open chest and a firm abdomen—in every move. 1. ARM ROW Secure the band under your left foot, grasping both ends in your right hand. Lean forward with your left palm on the ball. Raise your right elbow toward the ceiling, then lower. Do 12 reps. Variation Hold a weight in your right hand and stand feet apart, knees bent slightly. Rest your left palm on a…