Feeling drowsy and lethargic? Beat the blues this winter — and all year ’round — with tips to get energized from fitness expert Denise Austin, author of Denise Austin: Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life.Here’s our Q&A with Austin to get you off the couch.
Top 3 energy tips from fitness expert Denise Austin
SheKnows: What’s the most important strategy for women to boost energy? What are your top three tips?
Austin: Three things.
- Get a full night of sleep, seven to eight hours.
- Exercise! Just 30 minutes a day will do the trick.
- Stretch when you feel zapped – remember, energy begins with oxygen.
SheKnows: Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Will a coffee in a to-go cup ever suffice?
Austin: The most important meal of the day of course is breakfast, because it starts the day off right and kicks off the metabolism and energy for the whole day.
Muscles boost metabolism
SheKnows: Do you recommend that women get active every single day? Is that a good strategy for weight loss, energy and overall outlook?
Austin: Yes, if you can do 30 minutes most days, you will have energy every day of the week. Your 640 muscles need to move to feel better, and muscles work miracles on your metabolism.
SheKnows: People assume, as they age, they’ll slow down, expand their waistline and not be able to do some of the things they used to do. What do you think?
Austin: Don’t give up! Because having good health as you age is of the utmost importance.
‘Everything in moderation’
SheKnows: Have you changed your diet over the years to address a slowing metabolism? Or have you kept your metabolism running optimally through good exercise habits?
Austin: I’ve honestly changed my eating habits very slightly – everything in moderation. My slogan is “80 percent of the time, I eat well, 20 percent I can treat myself”. As I get older, I eat more fish, chicken, leaner meats, less fatty food, high nutritional foods. Also, I take vitamins, which is very important to me. Every day my goal is to take a multivitamin, fish oil and ground flax seed.
Water, almonds, fish oil for youth
SheKnows: What’s the most important tip you can pass onto women, especially women over 35, about staying healthy, active and youthful?
Austin: Drink a lot of water throughout the day to keep your energy level up and skin glowing. Eat foods with good fats like avocados, almonds, oils – these will help your skin stay supple and your hair shiny. Also, toning at this age is most important to ensure that nothing will droop. It’s the best way to sculpt your shape.
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