Denise Austin may have left behind the neon tights and leg warmers of the 1980s, but at 67, her vibrant spirit remains unchanged.
The fitness icon attributes her youthful appearance and boundless energy to daily workouts, a healthy diet, a diligent skincare regimen and a positive attitude. Working with her daughter, Katie, 30, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, fitness trainer and health coach, also keeps her young.
Over the years, Denise has inspired hundreds of thousands of women with her books, workout videos, magazine (Fit Over 50) and website, deniseaustin.com. She’s also served as a role model to her two daughters, both of whom launched their own careers in the health and wellness field. Kelly, 33, has her own spiritual and mental health practice (kellyaustin.com), while Katie started an on-demand fitness platform in 2018 (katieaustin.tv).
“I grew up seeing my mom exercise and film TV shows,” Katie says with a smile. Yet rather than just following in her fitness footsteps, she decided to chart her own path. “I’ve always loved the work my mom does, but at the same time, I wanted to combine my love of sports and broadcast media.”
As a Division 1 lacrosse player, Katie majored in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Her degree, combined with her love of sports, helped her land a job as a TV host on “Southern California Insider,” airing on FOX Sports West. She also has her own podcast, “Austin AF,” currently airing on YouTube and soon on Snapchat Originals.
“I think one of my strengths is being able to relate to my audience in a way that resonates with their daily lives,” Katie says. “I know my mom has always been a believer in 30-minute workouts, and I make sure to teach my audiences that even when you’re busy, a 25-to-30-minute workout can benefit both your physical and mental health.”
While her mother relied on television and videos to motivate audiences, Katie has found success using digital technologies and platforms. She created a smartphone app featuring 300+ on-demand workouts, recipes and videos, has a robust website that showcases her recipes and a new Bridal Glow fitness program that she introduced while preparing for her own wedding to Lane Armstrong in May.
In addition to using social media to promote her brand, Katie has shown her mom how to boost her online presence.
“Over the years, I’ve watched the fitness industry grow from VHS to DVD and now to streaming,” Denise says. “Katie has introduced me to Instagram and TikTok and we’ve even recorded some mother-daughter workouts together. I’ve learned so much from her,” she says.
Photo by Alex Jay Photography
The Secret To Aging Well
As a leading figure in the aerobics craze of the 1980s, Denise says her workouts have evolved over the years to support women at every stage of their lives. Today, she’s focused on promoting longevity for women and helping her audiences manage the challenges that come with perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.
“It’s a true joy to have people tell me they’ve been exercising with me since the 1980s,” Denise says. “And while I still emphasize 30-minute workouts, over the last decade I’ve started to focus on teaching women how to keep their bones healthy, their muscles strong and achieve overall strength.”
Knowing regular exercise is one way to slow the aging process and prevent or delay many health problems, Denise strives to simplify the process by offering guided workouts that can be done at home in 10-minute to 20-minute increments. She says it’s never too late for someone to begin an exercise regimen and that even engaging in a walking routine for 20-30 minutes each day offers physical and mental health benefits.
“At 67, I have so much energy,” Denise says. “While I still do cardio workouts, I also incorporate flexibility and stretching exercises, such as yoga. Strength training is important for women, especially after the age of 50, to maintain muscle.”
Katie’s approach to exercise differs from her mom’s as she emphasizes high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and time-based workouts.
“I’ve been an athlete my entire life and when I moved on to competitive sports, I started doing in-home workouts and became a certified fitness trainer,” Katie says.
Her athletic career began at the age of 4 when her father, sports agent and former tennis player Jeff Austin, introduced her to tennis. At 7, Katie started playing lacrosse and continued to play competitively throughout college.
“My mom has always promoted the physical benefits of exercise such as how cardio is good for your heart,” Katie says. “With my generation, I’m more focused on how exercise can reduce stress and improve mental health.”
Photo by Alex Jay Photography
Recipes For A Healthy Life
In addition to serving as a fitness role model, Katie credits her mother with teaching her the importance of eating healthy meals.
“My mom always made a good Idaho baked potato for me before lacrosse practice and I remember her making a great pot roast for dinner,” Katie says. “As student-athletes, she made sure we were getting the right nutrients and protein intake.”
Coming from a big family, with four sisters and one brother, Denise is a firm believer in gathering around the table to enjoy delicious food.
“I try to eat good 80% of the time and then have a treat such as a glass of wine or a hamburger 20% of the time,” Denise says. “Over the last 10 years, I’ve become more focused on my protein intake and eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon.”
As she’s gotten older, Denise has increased her focus on consuming foods that not only promote physical health but are also linked to better brain health.
“I love to sprinkle chia seeds, flaxseeds or blueberries on my Greek yogurt with a little drizzle of honey,” Denise says.” I’m very conscious of eating foods that will boost both my brain health and energy levels. I make sure to drink eight glasses of water each day and try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night.”
Even with her busy schedule, Katie makes it a priority to eat healthy and she develops her own recipes, sharing many on her website and app.
“I know a lot of women who use my app are busy and don’t want recipes with 30 ingredients, so I try to simplify meals,” Katie says. “For dinner, I love making bowls on especially busy days using a basic rice, one or two different vegetables, a lean protein and avocado, [then] topped with a sauce.”
In the future, Katie says she’d love to create a cookbook featuring her original healthy recipes. She also hopes to become more involved in live television and to one day have a monthlong fitness residency in New York City where she can teach workout classes.
“I also want to do more with my mom,” Katie says. “We recently completed a mother-daughter workout series and always have so much fun working out together.”
In late 2024, Katie plans to release a program that is a mix of Pilates and strength training, while Denise will launch a series of workouts on Oct. 1 for menopausal women.
“I hope to continue encouraging women over 50 to live their best lives, showing them how to wake up happy and pain-free and minimize the symptoms of menopause through exercise,” she says. “My upcoming workouts target the abdomen and waistline and I also plan to include recipes to help women over 50 look and feel their best.”
Beyond that, Denise is looking forward to spending quality time with her family.
“I love that I have some future wellness retreats coming up with my daughters,” she says. “It’s fun to see mothers and daughters from all over the country come to work out with us. It provides a pure connection of two generations.”
Photo by Niki Cram