Fitness guru Denise Austin shares practical advice for feeling great and looking good.
Age: 51. “I feel 28; it’s a matter of attitude. If you stay in good shape, you feel young.”
Height: 5 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
Weight: 120. “I’d like to be 118, but that’s OK. I love my food.”
Lunges
CORRECT: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with hands on your hips.
Take a big step forward with left foot. Slowly bend left knee to a 90-degree angle so that the knee is directly over the ankle.
Your weight should be balanced between the toes of your right foot and left heel.
Straighten your leg, pushing from your heel. Perform 10 times with each leg, repeating twice.
INCORRECT: Do not move knee past toes. Make sure to keep knee over ankle in a straight line and keep back straight — no slouching.
Side-arm raises
CORRECT: Stand up tall with back straight, feet hip-width apart and arms at sides. Holding dumbbells (between 3 and 8 pounds), slowly lift your arms out to the side until they reach shoulder level. Keep shoulders down and elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower and repeat. Perform two sets of 10 raises. Trainer’s tip: Lift arms with pinky fingers pointing upward and keep palms facing down.
INCORRECT: Avoid hunching shoulders and make sure not to raise arms above shoulders.
Squats:
CORRECT: Stand with your feet a little wider than hip width, with arms by your sides. Keeping your back straight and abs tight, bend your knees and sit back into a squat, raising your arms.
Keep your body weight over your heels. Squeeze your buttocks as you straighten your legs to return to starting position. If you have a history of knee problems, only bend knees to 45 degrees. As you progress, do not go below a 90-degree angle. Perform 20 times, repeating twice.
INCORRECT: Never let your knees go past your toes. Knees and hips should remain at a 90-degree angle. The overall goal is to firm thighs and buttocks.
Push-ups:
CORRECT: Kneel with your hands in front of you on the floor, keeping your hands a bit wider than shoulder width.
Support yourself on your hands and straighten your legs. Rest your body weight on your toes. Straighten your back, with abs tight and head in neutral position and with shoulders in line with your wrists (plank position). Slowly bend elbows and lower chest toward floor.
Straighten your arms to return to plank position. Perform 10 times, repeat twice.
Modified (on knees): Kneeling on floor, repeat same motions as regular push-up.
INCORRECT: Don’t arch your lower back, and keep your abs up and in.
