Need a body-confidence boost? Pick up a pair of dumbbells and let your gaze linger on the outline of your biceps as you lift the weights.
Denise Austin
Stretching exercises promote flexibility, so you move fluidly.
When you eat foods high in fiber, you feel full faster, making you less likely to overeat and more likely to have weight loss.
It's every woman's dream: looking fabulous in her favorite pair of Levi's.
When someone tells me that I look great, I say thanks and then share a secret: It's not the clothes or the makeup; it's my posture.
Fiber and other nondigestible carbs work wonderful weight loss magic.
When my jeans feel too tight, I know I need to cut back on desserts and step up my workouts.
Many women find long, lean sexy legs hard to get. One reason is that before menopause, most of us store a disproportionate amount of fat in our lower bodies, particularly in our hips and thighs.
I'm well aware of the health dangers of an expanding waistline and belly fat: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, even cancer.
Because there's no bouncing, jarring, or stress to your body, Pilates offers the ideal form of exercise for people who, because of joint pain or muscle weakness, shy away from exercise.
I used to have a 28-inch waist.' I hear this complaint from women over 40 a lot, and I can sympathize.
I believe in sensible, moderate exercise. I try to do something every day, at least 20 minutes per day. I don't think it's realistic to ask people to work out 90 minutes a day.
Most people should not do aerobic exercises for more than 30 minutes, because after that your chances of injury increase.
I was a gymnast as a little girl.
Inner-thigh strength is important, and not just for appearance sake. If you enjoy - or have always wanted to try - ice skating or roller blading, strong inner thighs will come in handy.
I went to the University of Arizona on a full athletic scholarship for gymnastics, where I competed and got 9th in the nation at the NCAAs.
If you look in the mirror and think, 'Boy, my body needs a good dose of middle management,' keep in mind that tummy fat could be the result of many things.
I really believe that green tea is the key for all of us women who are gaining some weight around your middle.
It is extremely hard to break bad habits and takes a long time to start new, healthy ones.
In L.A., I see people who are always in their cars, always driving. I encourage them to walk more - walk to the post office, walk to lunch. Even if it is a 10-minute walk, it's so good for you.
In addition to firming your abdominals, Pilates also helps strengthen and stretch the entire body from head to toe, helping you to stand taller.
There's nothing more frustrating than pulling on your favorite jeans - only to see there's a bit of extra bulge above the waist.
Working the deltoid muscles along the front and top will give you everyday lifting power and help eliminate sloping shoulders, making your waist appear thinner.
As fiber and other nondigestible carbs pass through your intestine, they bring other nutrients - often fat - along for the ride. This prevents your intestine from breaking down and absorbing some of the fat and cholesterol from the food you eat.
I know lots of women who have slim legs but refuse to wear skirts because of unsightly varicose or spider veins. Though heredity plays a role, your genes don't have to doom you to a life of long pants.
People are awake about 16 hours a day, so to devote 30 minutes to keeping your weight down, keeping your body healthy, is not a lot of time.
No gift list would be complete without a mention of fitness.
Constant slumping increases the stress on the spine and joints, and can lead to headaches, neck and shoulder tension, and lower-back pain.
If you think a bare midriff is only for teens, think again.
Sometimes I log more than my fair share of hours on my tush - behind my desk, in the car, in front of the TV. And all that sitting can turn even the tightest buns into rice pudding.
For most of my life, I've put on weight in my thighs, not my belly. But in my mid-40s, things began to change.
I don't believe in strict diets or starving yourself; eat three meals a day. I believe in eating a good breakfast, a good lunch and a light dinner. Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a queen, and eat dinner like a pauper. Your ultimate goal is to eat all the basic food groups in those three different meals.
Banish aches and pains by strengthening and stretching the muscles that affect your back.
As a baby grows in the womb, the surrounding abdominal muscles stretch outward. If you don't tighten up those muscles after delivery, your abs will remain loose and weak.
The key is consistency. Do your ab exercises at least three times a week, or even a few minutes each day.
Aim to eat healthy six days out of the week, and then enjoy what I call a 'super splurge' on the seventh day. It helps you enjoy yourself and not feel so deprived, so you're ready to recommit to healthy eating the following week.
To maintain good health, you need to exercise almost every day - 30 minutes is recommended, that's what I personally do - and you need to eat right.
I like to go to yoga classes and sweat a lot.
Walking lunges are great for thighs.
In my home gym, I'll do targeted exercises like pilates, light weights and stretching.
I like intervals. I will turn a walk into a workout. For example, I walk for five minutes at an easy pace, then power-walk for two minutes and repeat. Intervals blast the fat.
Helping people keeps me going.
Some of the routines take less than 10 minutes, making Pilates the perfect form of exercise for anyone who finds there's not enough time in the day for exercise.
We use our shoulder muscles to accomplish practically every pulling, pushing, and hoisting task we do (they really do carry the weight of the world!), so they're a great place to start building strength.
Of all the forms of exercise I've taught, Pilates is one of my favorites.
Your lower back contains numerous muscles. One group, called the erector spinae, attaches to your spinal column at different points along your back, allowing you to bend it forward and backward and from side to side. Toning these muscles helps prevent back pain, and it also tightens and firms your entire lower back.
What was cool about my career, Jack LaLanne gave me my first break on TV. I was his co-host.
I love walking on a treadmill, it's a great way to challenge yourself!
When it comes to foods as we age, it is a good rule of thumb to focus on high-quality, whole, fresh foods as the basis of all your meals.
I'm into eating whole foods.
