Denise Austin Reveals Her 4 Top Weight Loss Tips for Women Over 50
Denise Austin shares the “most important” weight loss tips for women over 50 with Prevention.
The fitness icon, 67, reveals the importance of weight training, healthy snacking, and more.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it!”
Losing weight after 50 can be difficult—but Denise Austin is here to help. The fitness pro recently sat down with Prevention to discuss her top wellness tips for staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle, all of which are great ways to lose weight safely, if that is your goal.
Ahead, find Austin’s favorite tips for weight loss for women over 50.
Try weight training
“I always tell women, you gotta start weight training. Weight training will help you work the muscles to keep from atrophy because as we age, we lose our muscle tone,” Austin says. “If you don’t use it, you lose it!” Whether you do bodyweight exercises, resistance band exercises, or add a pair of hand weights to your routine, Austin suggests weight training twice per week or more.
“Muscle conditioning is the most important as we go through perimenopause, into menopause, and even after menopause—the weight loss happens naturally if you get those muscles to work a little more,” Austin adds. “Our muscles are what keeps us young. If your muscles are toned and taught, there’s no drooping and sagging, and muscles work miracles on your metabolism.”
It’s true: Increased muscle mass gained through weight training can boost your metabolism and your body’s ability to burn fat, which may help maintain a healthy weight, Steven Bowers, D.O., a board-certified family physician, previously explained of strength training over 50.
Listen to hunger cues
Austin says that overeating, especially late at night, is something she tries to avoid. “That’s the time that our body already naturally slows down, and if you’re overeating at night, you’re not able to burn some of those calories because you're starting to lay around the house,” she says.
Instead, Austin recommends eating a nutritious dinner to help avoid late-night snacking. If you’re hungry after dinner, Austin does have a few go-to healthy snacks she likes to eat. She says she “loves” apples with almond butter, cottage cheese with flax seeds and hemp seeds, hummus with veggies, and nuts. “Eating healthy as you age is important—especially healthy fats, vitamin C, and fiber.”
Drink water
“I always tell people ‘make sure you’re drinking your eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day,’” Austin explains. “Water is energy. It really helps you.” Austin says that not only does drinking plenty of water give you the energy to power through your day, but it can also be a beneficial weight loss tool and is important for overall health. With hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, dehydration can occur, “so it’s really important to keep on drinking,” she adds.
The body sometimes confuses thirst for hunger, causing you to eat more than you need. One study found that drinking water before a meal is linked to weight loss, and experts agree that drinking water can actually help you get rid of water weight. “If you don’t drink enough water, the body holds on to water to prevent severe dehydration,” Amy Shapiro, R.D., previously explained.
Stay active
If you can, get some movement in. “Don’t sit. Sitting gives you no energy,” Austin adds. “So get up out of the chair as often as you can. You have to move those muscles to get the oxygen to flow, and that gives you energy.” Plus, adding even small amounts of movement to your day can help counteract some of the negative health effects of sitting (including weight gain). One 2022 study found that something called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), which refers to the portion of daily energy expenditure not resulting from voluntary exercise, is an “essential tool for body weight control.”
When you do need to sit, take Austin’s advice and practice good posture. “I tell people that posture is the key to good energy. If you’re sitting slouched over, you’re not able to take deep breaths,” she says. “So get up, stretch, and have good posture—that’s the key to good energy.”
We love that Austin always helps her fans stay motivated. Looking for more from the fitness pro? Check out some of Austin’s fan-favorite exercises below.
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