Denise Austin Shines as America’s Favorite Fitness Expert

DIET COLUMN

Denise Austin has been in the health and fitness industry for more than 25 years and is most known for her exercise videos/DVDs and her emphasis on staying fit naturally. A few of her accomplishments include being an American fitness instructor, author, columnist, spokeswoman for Idaho Potatoes and Nature Made, and a former member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Throughout her career, she has been known by her nickname, “America’s Favorite Fitness Expert.”

Austin was born on February 13, 1957 in San Pedro, California. At age 12 she began taking gymnastics lessons and increased her skills enough to later receive an athletic scholarship from the University of Arizona. While she was a member of their gymnastics team, she was named #9 in the NCAA on the balance beam. Though Austin did not complete her degree there, she eventually transferred to California State University Long Beach. In 1979 she graduated with her bachelor of arts degree in physical education and a minor in exercises physiology. In 1983 she married sports attorney Jim Austin and eventually gave birth to their two daughters in the early 90s.

The 5-foot-four-inch fitness expert began her career in L.A. teaching aerobic classes. In 1981 she had a big breakthrough and became the co-host for the Jack LaLanne Show. In 1982 alone she earned her own first TV show on KABC in L.A. and released her first two workout videos, “Rock Aerobics” and “Rock Hard Abs.” From 1984-1988 she was the NBC Today Show’s fitness expert. She also had two other major shows, “Denise Austin’s Daily Workout” (which ran for 10 years on ESPN with the original name “Getting Fit”) and “Fit & Lite.” Both shows appeared on the Lifetime Television Network and ran until March 2008.

In 2003 she was placed in the Video Hall of Fame for selling more than 20 million exercise videos and DVDs. As of today she’s created 85 at-home workout videos/DVDs and authored more than 10 books on fitness. This list goes on and on.

Austin has a lifestyle where she believes in being fit the natural way. What this means is she prefers using things like real butter and sugar instead of the artificial stuff (but she does however recommend portion control). After seeing her incredibly fit body, you’d be surprised to find out her workouts are only 30 minutes long. She’ll also advise you to never skip a meal and to stay away from fad diets.

Currently, you can see Denise and her workouts Tuesday-Friday mornings on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television Network, which began in January 2011. Her newest book, “Get Energy,” was also released in 2011, and the latest at-home DVD workouts include, “Shrink Your Fat Zones Pilates” and “Quick Burn Cardio,” released in 2010. In addition to her books and DVDs, anyone can get Austin’s guidance through her online diet and fitness program. Membership is required and includes a customized meal and fitness plan, access to 15 online progress tracking tools, and motivation from Denise herself.

June 18th, 2012

by Danielle — Editorial Intern

Twitter: @DALagow

Participating in an active and healthy lifestyle is a top priority for Danielle Lagow, and she puts those ideals into action every day. She is a senior at Wichita State University, and splits her free time between gigs at DietsInReview, a local health club, and training as a bodybuilder.

http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/06/denise-austin-shines-as-americas-favorite-fitness-expert/