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Build that beach body — even when you only have 10 minutes.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Katie Austin — who’s also a fitness trainer and the daughter of legendary aerobics instructor Denise Austin — is on deck and dumbbell with her recommendations for maximizing your workout minutes.
Austin told The Post that on days when she’s struggling to motivate herself to move, she employs a time-tested mind trick.
“I tell myself I’m only going to do five to ten minutes, and then I’ll feel so much better and I’ll want to keep going,” said the star.
“If I tell myself beforehand, ‘I’m going to do a 30- to 45-minute workout,’ I probably won’t accomplish it because that sounds intimidating.”
But when actually only has ten minutes, she has a plan for that too. Her app features a “Quickies by Time” category, where users can access 10-minute workouts for when they’re in a rut or need a fast fitness fix.
Austin launched her app more than seven years ago, and it has been a hit ever since, offering a library of over 400 home workout videos, as well as nutritional tips and recipes, all tailored for folks with busy lifestyles and limited time to devote to fitness.
If she only has that small window to feel the burn, Austin opts for strength training over cardio.
“Strength would definitely make me feel more productive and just get me moving. I probably wouldn’t do a cardio workout just because I’d need my heart rate to be up for longer, and also, if I only have 10 minutes, I probably don’t want to get too sweaty,” she said.
Experts routinely recommend that adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening a week.
While muscle-building may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about strength training, research shows it can do more than tone your body.
The force placed on bones during strength training, especially with weight-bearing exercises, triggers the formation of bone-forming cells, making bones stronger and denser, according to Harvard Health.
A brief burst of strength notwithstanding, Katie said her go-to for when she’s feeling uninspired to exercise is to take a walk.
“Walking is not only amazing for your physical health, but also for your mental health. Even if you just walk for 15 to 20 minutes.
What I love to do from there is use it as a way to start my workout if I’m feeling unmotivated. You’ll get motivation, brain power and energy from your walk, and then you can start your workout.”
The health benefits of a daily walk are well-established. From aiding digestion to boosting mood, getting your steps in is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
A low-impact alternative to running or other high-intensity workouts, walking is effective, accessible, and may help you live a longer, richer life. Recent research suggests that walking 5,000 steps three times a week for two years could add three years to a person’s life expectancy and reduce their healthcare costs by up to 13%.
Austin previously shared with The Post that she’s “loving” following in her mom’s footsteps in the fitness world — and she even recreated some of Denise’s old workout videos on a recent trip to the Bahamas.
“She had her own TV show, but that doesn’t really exist nowadays, so I’m kind of just doing it myself on my app. It’s really cool to see how fitness has evolved so much from the ’80s,” she said.
In the past, Austin and her mom have teamed up to host retreats, teach fitness classes, create workout content and even rock bikinis on the runway during Miami Swim Week.
Austin also expressed interest in re-creating more of her mom’s most iconic video shoots, outfits and all.
“I would love to start traveling the world and do her exact recreation videos. She saved all of her leotards and retro activewear, so I could actually wear the same leotard in the same location, which is really cool,” she said.
