Denise Austin and I go back. Waaaayyyy back. It’s story time! One January morning on a snow day, back in 2005 or 2006 (when I was 9 years old!), I stumbled upon her “Daily Workout” show on Lifetime. While still in my PJ’s, I got off the couch and followed her half hour workout show. I don’t know why I did, either. At the time I HATED exercise. I equated exercise with one of my 4th grade PE nightmares. We would have to walk/run down the hill from the elementary school, then walk/run on the track right down from the elementary school, and finishing by walking/running back up the hill to the school. I was envious of one of my friends who could do it without getting winded. But Denise’s peppy and positive personality inspired me to join her in her half hour exercise show. I loved it so much, that I decided to do her “Daily Workout” show faithfully. (Well, except for when she would do abs on her show. I did it but whined like a baby during every minute!) Every morning before school, I would have a light breakfast then run into the living room to do Denise’s show. I recall having to change into my school clothes during the commercials between the aerobics and toning segments, then brush my teeth during the commercials between the toning segment and the cool down! Despite my Mom’s constant nagging (“Garrie, you need to get ready for school!”), I was determined to keep Denise’s show as part of my early morning ritual (“Mom, aren’t you proud of me like Denise?!”). I even used some of my Christmas money to buy one of her DVDs at Walmart! I bet the cashier thought I was crazy. Then a while later, I was disappointed when Lifetime took her show off and instead replaced it with something else. So sadly I stopped working out, until 2012 when I seriously started my fitness journey with The Firm (before my junior year of high school). Looking back I think it was those few months of working out with Denise that helped to instill the value of exercise for me.
Now that I got that story out of the way, let me give a brief bio of Denise. As a child she was into gymnastics, and went to college on a gymnastics scholarship. She received a degree in exercise physiology and in the early 1980s appeared on Jack LaLanne’s show, then in 1982 received her own exercise segment on a morning news show called “Daybreak LA.” Around this time she also met her future husband, Jeff, and they’ve been married ever since! Later, she became a fitness expert on NBC’s Today show before getting her own half hour show on ESPN called “Getting Fit with Denise Austin.” The show, often taped on a beach setting, featured a warm-up which segued into a short cardio segment, a toning segment (often focusing on abs, buns, or thighs), a cool down stretch, and final segment either featuring a short Q&A with Denise and a guest, or Denise providing form tips on an exercise. The show lasted from the late 80s into the mid 90s until she was dropped by ESPN. However, her show was picked up by Lifetime TV and rebranded under the name “Daily Workout.” Shortly after, she also began to host another exercise show on Lifetime called “Fit & Lite” which featured yoga, light cardio, and Pilates exercises often filmed in Arizona. Alongside her exercise shows, she has released many workout videos since the mid 80s, and now has her own streaming service (which features a lot of her old ESPN and Lifetime shows). She’s also written several books–three of which I own (Jump Start, Pilates for Every Body, and Hit the Spot), and has her own magazine called “Fit Over 50.” There’s more! She also has her own exercise equipment line that she often hawks on HSN. Denise is also a former member on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Katie, one of her daughters, is following in her Mom’s footsteps and posts workout videos on YouTube and Instagram.
If you read reviews of Denise Austin videos or DVDs, you will find that there is no middle ground between like/dislike. Some love her workouts, some hate her workouts. I’m one of the rare birds who is in the middle ground. I don’t love her workouts, but I don’t hate her, either. Denise has a very peppy, bubbly, and encouraging personality, and often speaks in breathy, high-pitched, and slightly raspy voice. In her workouts from the late 80s/early 90s, her voice (to me) was the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. As the years went by, her voice has mellowed out (but her enthusiasm is still strong!) Denise has a tendency to say what I refer to in my reviews as “Denise-isms,” or cliched catchphrases that she repeats frequently alongside constant praise and encouragement. Often, these get in the way of her cueing (which usually occurs on or after the move she is doing). Sometimes, she tends to go off the phrasing of the music which, along with her cueing being off, drives me nuts as I’m a certified group fitness instructor (AFAA-certified). With all of her quirks, there’s something endearing about her that I’m willing to overlook them.
Denise’s workouts tend to gravitate towards beginner/intermediate level. While I consider myself an advanced exerciser, I still enjoy lighter workouts from time to time. After all, you can’t go hard every single day! She runs the gamut of workouts–cardio, strength, circuit, barre, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, step aerobics, dance–you name it, she probably has a video or DVD for it! I rediscovered Denise after seeing a Facebook post where she, along with her daughter Katie, walked down the runway of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit show. And Denise looked amazing. Seriously, she hasn’t aged one bit at all! She’s in her mid 60’s but easily looks a good 20 (or even 30!) years younger. She often claims that she exercises just half an hour for five days a week, along with eating right (“everything in moderation”). I don’t know if I believe the former statement, but she must be doing something right! I picked up one of her DVDs at Goodwill, and that led me to getting more of them!
Below is a list of Denise Austin workouts I’ve reviewed on my blog:
Boot Camp Total Body Blast
Burn Fat Fast Cardio Blast
Personal Training System
My Home Workout Reviews 