"Exactly the Same as 40 Years Ago": 68-Year-Old Fitness Influencer's Then-and-Now Photos Go Viral [Health Talk]

According to The Financial News, Denise Austin, 68, who rose to fame as a fitness instructor after releasing aerobics videos in the 1990s, is drawing attention with a comparison of a swimsuit photo taken 40 years ago and how she looks today.

Fox News reported on the 29th that Denise Austin recently posted her own "then and now" photos on social media and said, "The secret isn’t some special workout, it’s the habit of never stopping."
Austin is a pioneer of at-home workout influencers, having sold 24 million workout videos and DVDs. She has published 12 health books and began hosting the fitness TV show "The Jack LaLanne Show" in 1981.
A working mom with two daughters, she developed a 30-minute routine that busy mothers can do without going to the gym, which was very well received.
With this workout method, she has maintained her health and figure even 40 years later. Denise said, "I’ve worked out for 30 minutes a day for 40 years," and explained, "You can do everything in 30 minutes. On some days of the week, I do about 30 minutes of cardio to burn fat and strengthen my heart, and on the other days I focus on ab training and stretching."
She went on, "Saying you don’t have time to exercise is just an excuse now. I used to get up 30 minutes before my kids woke up to walk and jog outside. Then I’d come back to prepare breakfast and help them get ready for school," adding, "If you truly can’t find 30 minutes at once, doing three 10-minute sessions to make up 30 minutes is also a great option."



Denise Austin prefers an intensity that does not overstrain the joints and muscles, rather than high-intensity intervals or long training sessions. She noted, "For people in midlife and beyond, what matters more than the workout itself is how often you can do it without compromising recovery," and advised, "Start with a simple walking routine you can do right now."
She added, "It’s enough to work at an intensity where you’re a bit out of breath. Workouts that push your heart rate too high are hard to sustain in the long run."
After strength training, she adds about 10 to 20 minutes of light cardio. This approach not only helps manage body fat, but also supports cardiovascular health and overall conditioning.
Denise Austin has long made moves that require balance—such as planks and side leg lifts—a staple of her basic routine. These exercises are designed to strengthen the deep muscles that support the lower back and pelvis. In practice, core stability is directly linked to posture, prevention of back pain, and efficiency in everyday movements. She emphasized, "The older you get, the more important the strength that supports your body becomes, rather than muscles that just show on the surface."
Denise Austin says that with just a yoga mat, light dumbbells, and a resistance band, you can work out at home.
She concluded, "You can do yoga, you can do Pilates, you can do weight training, you can walk, you can do kickboxing, and you can do aerobics," adding, "In just 30 minutes, you’ll feel amazing thanks to the sense of accomplishment. It’s also great to create your own personal workout routine."

moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter