Denise Austin in Bikini at 68 Is “SO HAPPY”

Denise Austin is posing in a bikini at 68. The ageless fitness star shows off her incredible body in a bathing suit while vacationing on the Mediterranean. “Feeling strong, healthy, and SO HAPPY here in gorgeous Bay Cassis!!! There’s nothing like a little sunshine, fresh sea air, and a swim in the Mediterranean to lift your spirits and keep you feeling GOOD!! Vacation is the perfect time to stay active and take care of YOU. Whether it’s a quick swim, a walk by the water, or just soaking in nature’s beauty… it all adds up to a healthy body and a happy mind!! Let’s keep moving, smiling, and enjoying every moment together!!” she captioned the Instagram snaps. How does the trainer approach health and wellness? Here are her go-to diet and fitness tips.

Denise is all about strength training. “As we all age, you really need to do some light strength training or any type of resistance training, even more so, to save our bones, to help our muscles work, work miracles on your metabolism,” she told First for Women. “Metabolism is so important because it slows down naturally as you age, so one of the best ways to combat that and fight the drooping, and the aging is muscles. We have 640 muscles and these muscles will help your posture and your muscle tone — they will help keep everything fit and firm. And it’s healthy to have strong muscles for your bones as well as for your joints!”

Denise stresses the importance of stretching. “Flexibility after 50 is so important. I just don’t think we stretch enough! I would love more women to stretch to feel better. The one area that is important to stretch is your hips. Women’s hips can hold stress and tension and that could lead to tugging on your low spine. And if your hips and your hamstring stay flexible, it keeps your back healthy. So it all works hand in hand and head to toe,” she says. “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,” agrees Harvard Health. “Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

Denise gets her steps in. “Walking is good,” she told First for Women. One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.df44d9eab23ea271ddde7545ae2c09ec

Austin emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle. “Way too often, people start a diet, get excited about it for a few days, and then return to their normal habits when it gets in the way of their lifestyle. The major problem here is that a diet shouldn’t be a fad or an inconvenience — it should fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, so it is easy to adopt and adapt to! Because if a diet is going to work for you, it’s got to be something you can keep up with day in and day out,” she writes in a blog post.

Denise recommends calorie counting. “By sticking to a plan that already does the work for you, you will be less likely to stray off course,” she says, recommending her own plan. “If losing weight is truly a goal for you, it takes a combination of regular exercise and eating a certain number of calories. My Plan makes this simple – you choose your calorie level (you can change it at any time!), and you get all your daily meals (plus snacks) recipes delivered right to you! My recipes are equal parts tasty and simple – and always filling, because no one wants to be hungry when dieting! You can start a free trial and check out my eating plan, recipes and workouts today.”