{"id":887378,"date":"2026-09-08T01:12:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/887378\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T01:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T01:12:17","slug":"denise-austin-69-says-this-simple-5-minute-rule-makes-exercise-easier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/887378\/","title":{"rendered":"Denise Austin, 69, says this simple 5-minute rule makes exercise easier"},"content":{"rendered":"

In many ways, September feels like more of a fresh start than January ever does. No matter how old you are, it seems to retain that back-to-school energy \u2013 which is why so many of us use this month to get back on track with our health and fitness goals.<\/p>\n

Actually getting started, however, is often the hardest part.<\/p>\n

It’s something 69-year-old fitness icon Denise Austin<\/a> has noticed among her own friends.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Instagram, the fitness instructor, bestselling author and creator of Fit Over 50 magazine said many of them wanted to move more but were struggling to turn good intentions into action.<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of my friends are saying, \u201cDenise, I\u2019m lacking some motivation\u201d,\u2019 she shared in a recent video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018I wanted to come on here as a girlfriend, just to tell you little things that I do to get me jump-started again,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n

Denise Austin’s five-minute motivation trick<\/p>\n

Denise’s solution is refreshingly simple.<\/p>\n

\u2018The first thing is I just tell myself I\u2019m going to do five minutes: five minutes of a walk<\/a>, five minutes of toning\u2026 That way, my five minutes turns to 10 minutes. Mentally, if you just say five minutes, you\u2019ll be able to get it done and then go a little further,\u2019 she explained.<\/p>\n

She finished the video with one of her trademark sayings: \u2018Remember, if you rest, you\u2019ll rust.\u2019<\/p>\n

It’s advice backed up by research. While rest and recovery are essential for health and longevity<\/a>, long periods of sitting come with genuine health risks \u2013 and even brief movement breaks can make a difference.<\/p>\n

Even five minutes of movement can benefit your health<\/p>\n

A major study<\/a> involving more than 90,000 people found that spending long, uninterrupted periods sitting was associated with a higher risk of cancer<\/a>-related death.<\/p>\n

After tracking participants’ movement over 12 years, researchers found that every additional hour spent in prolonged sedentary behaviour \u2013 sitting or lying down while awake \u2013 was associated with a 10% higher risk of dying from cancer.<\/p>\n

The encouraging news? Breaking up those long periods of sitting with even light activity, such as household chores or a gentle walk, was linked with a lower risk. Greater benefits were seen with moderate and vigorous activity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, if you’re struggling to get back into an exercise routine this September, Denise’s advice is worth remembering: don’t worry about committing to an hour. Start with five minutes.<\/p>\n

Chances are, once you’ve begun, you’ll want to keep going.<\/p>\n

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women\u2019s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo<\/a> exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan \u2013 created exclusively for Women\u2019s Health COLLECTIVE members \u2013 you\u2019ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Get the plan<\/a><\/p>\n

\"women's<\/a>\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n