At 67, Denise Austin Shares ‘Effective’ Core Exercises for Women Over 50
Denise Austin shares “effective” core exercises for women over 50 with Prevention.
Her favorites include standing moves, planks, and bicycle crunches.
The star also explains how to get the most out of whatever moves you choose.
Denise Austin is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle. The 67-year-old fitness pro shares her top wellness tips and easy workout moves to help motivate her followers. Now, in a recent interview with Prevention, Austin reveals her favorite core exercises for women over 50—and we’re sharing exactly how to do them.
Standing crunch
First up is a standing crunch. Maintaining core strength as you age is important for overall health, but Austin explains that a lot of her followers “don’t like getting on the ground” when working out. That’s why Austin loves incorporating standing ab exercises into her routines.
The standing crunch is a great beginner-friendly move that is also extremely effective. Austin previously shared a demonstration of the move, calling it her favorite workout move for toning the lower belly. Simply stand upright with your arms above your head and alternate which knee you pull towards your chest, crunching your upper body downward to meet your knee.
Plank
While there are so many amazing standing exercises to add to your routine, Austin says “a good plank is something we can’t ignore...I think you need to do one of those as part of your ab routine.” The fitness pro explains that the plank is one of the best ways to target the transverse abdominis muscles, the deep core muscles that “hold your tummy” muscles in place and provide much-needed support and stabilization.
Austin says high (on your hands) and low (on your elbows) planks are both effective variations, but suggests doing the low plank if you have wrist issues. Plus, there are lots of other ways to modify the plank. Austin suggests doing elevated planks for those who don’t want to get all the way down on the ground—simply place your hands or elbows on a surface such as a desk, kitchen counter, or stable chair to plank.
Bicycle crunch
“If you do get down on the ground, the best exercise to do is the bicycle, because the bicycle is working the lower part of your abdominals, obliques, and rectus abdominus,” Austin says, calling it one of the most “efficient and effective” moves. “A bicycle is one of the best exercises to work all the core muscles,” Austin adds.
It’s also a great exercise for women over 50 because you can incorporate your legs and bend the knees, which “helps with technique.” To do a bicycle, you can lay on your back while elevating your shoulders and legs. With your hands behind your ears, pull each knee toward your face to meet with the opposite elbow before extending it straight out and repeating on the opposite side.
No matter what core exercises you add to your workout routine, Austin explains that the mind-muscle connection and learning how to engage your abdominal muscles is key. “You have to learn how to tighten up your abs and contract your abs to really get them to work,” she says. “The idea is to really embrace all of the abdominal muscles—you could even practice it sitting—pulling in your abs, almost like you’re tightening up a corset. And it really helps to understand how to engage those abs correctly.”
Looking for more moves? Check out some of our favorite tips, tricks, and workouts from Austin below.
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