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![Denise Austin with images of her younger self denise austin lifts her arms out laterally while sitting on the floor with three portraits of her younger self placed behind her on a couch and a denise austin logo above](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/entertainment/celebrities/info-2023/denise-austin-interview/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/entertainment/celebrities/2023/08/1140-denise-austin.jpg)
When you hear the name Denise Austin, you might be transported back to the ’80s. That’s when the iconic fitness instructor first donned her neon leotards, fluorescent tights and electric leg warmers for workout videos that took the nation by storm.
Fast-forward about 40 years, and the 66-year-old is still going strong. The outfits may look different most days, but Austin’s energy is as infectious as ever. Her tried-and-true exercises have stood the test of time and remain a crucial part of her lifetime commitment to fitness.
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That’s why she’s partnered with AARP to encourage people over 50 to get up and moving with the new “Core Series With Denise Austin.” In a conversation with AARP, Austin shares exactly what you can learn via her 10-minute workout videos available exclusively on the AARP website.
What can readers learn from your new series?
These are fantastic exercises that you could do to complement each and every part of physical fitness. So some are for just the core. Some are fun, like retro aerobics, to get the heart rate going and burn some extra calories. Some are with balance because we all need balance — but it all starts from the core.
Each 10 minutes can be done by themselves, if you just have 10 minutes, or you could couple it with a couple of them or do an entire 50 minutes if you really have the time and the ability.
This series for AARP focuses on core work. Why is core work crucial?
Our spine is our lifeline. And the core muscles are the key to strengthening your core to almost act as a girdle for your back and spine. So that’s why I’m so focused on the core — to really keep it strong and healthy and improve our posture, especially as we age.
Why is it important for people over 50 to stay active?
It’s all about our health. This is the time that you need to take good care of yourself, and wellness is so important.
It will make you feel better, number one. Also, exercise is known to help with depression. It helps with, of course, improving your cardiovascular system, and muscle tone is the key. That’s why I do muscle conditioning exercises because, as we age, we lose muscle tone if we don’t use it.
Muscle conditioning exercises like these strength, toning exercises make a world of difference for your overall health because muscles also keep you from getting injured, and it helps with osteoporosis.
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