All-Day Strength Training With Denise Austin

This video is part of the 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge designed to help you improve strength, cardio, balance and flexibility. Start the challenge here: aarp.org/CouchToFit

Firm your muscles morning, afternoon and evening with these easy strength workouts you can do throughout your home.

Key takeaways

• Boost muscle tone and energy all day with Denise Austin’s simple, at-home strength moves.
• Transform daily routines using countertop push-ups, water bottle lifts and sofa tricep dips for targeted results.
• Support joint health and posture by weaving quick, effective strength exercises into morning, afternoon and evening habits.

Summary

All-day strength training at home is one of the simplest ways to boost muscle tone, improve posture and keep your energy up throughout the day. Fitness expert Denise Austin recommends weaving easy, effective strength workouts into your daily routine — no fancy gym required. Start your morning with countertop push-ups and leg squats while waiting for breakfast, firming your arms, thighs and glutes right in your kitchen. In the afternoon, make work breaks count with water bottle lifts and posture stretches to sculpt your upper body and support a healthy spine.

Evenings in your living room can be just as productive, with sofa tricep dips, tummy tucks and gentle stretches that target your core and legs. These practical strength training exercises don’t just keep muscles strong — they also protect your joints, support your back and make everyday movements easier. By integrating short, targeted routines throughout your morning, afternoon and evening, you’ll build strength, flexibility and confidence, all from the comfort of home.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[00:00:00] [AARP’s GET MOVING! Wherever You Are] [ALL-DAY STRENGTH TRAINING  WITH Fitness Expert Denise Austin] >> Denise Austin: Hi, I’m Denise Austin, and welcome to my home.

[00:00:10] Today, we’re going to do a 10-minute all-day strength training workout. You will be able to firm muscle throughout the day.

[00:00:17] I’ll show you how. [MORNING: STRENGTH WORKOUT IN YOUR KITCHEN]

[00:00:22] First ones is to start in your kitchen. We spend lots of time in the kitchen. Why not firm up your muscles

[00:00:28] right there since we do spend a little time here? So I’ve got my favorite one. While I’m waiting for my toast to pop up in the morning,

[00:00:36] I like to firm up my upper body with push-ups. And they’re easy. They’re called countertop push-ups.

[00:00:42] And all you have to do is go down and up. This will help firm and strengthen the muscles of your chest,

[00:00:48] your arms and your shoulders. And they’re an easy push-up. All you have to do is stay strong and straight like a plank, go down,

[00:00:57] use your chest muscles to come back up. This is a fabulous way to do a push-up.

[00:01:03] So much easier than on the ground. So if you could do about 10 of these, and then your toast is ready,

[00:01:09] you will firm your upper body. Now, we all love our coffee, and I do too.

[00:01:15] So while my coffee is being brewed, I like to firm up my inner and outer thighs.

[00:01:21] So this is a great exercise. Did you know your muscles don’t know if you’re in a kitchen or a fancy gym?

[00:01:29] So why not firm and tone up your muscles? Cross over and out.

[00:01:34] No more saddlebags. Firm and tone your thighs. I love this one.

[00:01:39] And always do both legs, of course, inner and outer thighs. This is one of the best exercise to really tone

[00:01:47] and tighten inside your thighs. No more jigglies. Great.

[00:01:52] Now, the next exercise is one I love in the kitchen. Because we do dishes, we spend so much time cooking,

[00:01:59] why not add a little leg squat while we’re waiting for the water to boil or doing some dishes.

[00:02:06] This way firms your buttocks, strengthens your thighs. And you’re using the countertop for great balance.

[00:02:14] So make sure you’re doing this correctly. Lean back, sit back and stand up tall.

[00:02:20] This is one of the best ways to reshape that bottom half to make it your better half.

[00:02:26] Now, you can also do my extra leg squeeze. This really lifts the booty,

[00:02:32] tones and tightens up the back of those thighs. That’s it. Really squeeze it.

[00:02:38] Try to do about 10 with each leg. You will really feel the legs working all back here.

[00:02:44] It’s an easy exercise and you could just do minisquats too. Easy on the joints, and toning your muscles.

[00:02:52] Beautiful, 640 muscles in the body to tone and tighten.

[00:02:58] Then you could do some easy stretches. Just lean against that kitchen countertop.

[00:03:03] That’s it. It really helps. And I go to the other side. And then a full-body stretch.

[00:03:10] One of my very favorites is almost like a downward facing dog. Stretch your legs, strengthen your spine.

[00:03:17] Your spine is your lifeline. Keep it healthy. Oh, it feels so good.

[00:03:22] And it’s good for you too. Hold the stretch for about 10 seconds. There you go. And release.

[00:03:30] OK, time to move on. [AFTERNOON: WORK BREAK BODY BOOST]

[00:03:36] Here are some easy exercises that you can do to firm up right at your office, sitting there, working at the computer.

[00:03:43] Let’s do a posture stretch, and it’s a strengthener. So open up your chest, elbows go back.

[00:03:50] Now you’re firming the muscles of your upper back and shoulders. And really opening up that chest to improve your posture.

[00:03:57] Hold that, pull it forward, and take it back. Oh, feels so good. Just a couple of these.

[00:04:04] Keep your ribcage nice and pulled in. That’s it. Don’t arch your back.

[00:04:09] It’s all about the upper back muscles. OK. Now if you’ve got some weights handy or some water bottles

[00:04:16] like I have right at my desk, use them, because they are really going to help firm up your muscles.

[00:04:22] This is an overhead press. I love this exercise, because it strengthens your arms,

[00:04:28] your shoulders and your chest. And it also helps improve that posture.

[00:04:33] So you only have to do a couple of these to really firm the muscles. Muscles work miracles on our metabolism.

[00:04:40] And then you can do some wonderful shoulder exercises. This will really improve posture too.

[00:04:46] This is great for sexy arms. And some bicep curls. I love all of these exercises to do with water bottles.

[00:04:55] They help to firm and tone, shape and sculpt your muscles. Beautiful.

[00:05:01] And then little baby arm circles. Whoa! You’ll feel that. These really work to shape your arms.

[00:05:08] Great looking arms, strong. True strength training for your arms and shoulders.

[00:05:14] OK. Now a lot of us talk on the phone. OK, so why not work on those arms while talking on the phone.

[00:05:22] That’s right. You could even walk and talk and firm up the other arm. And then, of course, switch sides.

[00:05:29] Reach your arm up, and strong arms. These are great exercise you can do.

[00:05:35] OK, now for the waistline. I love this waistline trimmer. First of all, sit up nice and tall, twist to the side,

[00:05:42] reach down, no more love handles. Lift up, and reach to the other side. It’s like a windmill, but it works the waistline.

[00:05:50] I love this exercise. You know why? Because it helps your back too. Strengthens your back, loosens up those joints.

[00:05:58] That’s it. And keeps you flexible at the office. Good. All these are easy moves that you can do every day,

[00:06:07] that really matter in a course of a day. And now for those legs. Bring one knee up to the chest

[00:06:13] and then pull your tummy in, and nose to the knee. Give it a try.

[00:06:19] This is great to relax your low spine. Reach, reach, reach. That’s it. Beautiful.

[00:06:24] And relax. Now a little hip opener. Sitting up nice and tall, lean slightly forward.

[00:06:30] That’s it. Gently hold your leg out. Oh, it feels so good.

[00:06:35] Tight hips are really hard on your back. So if you loosen up your hips with this hip opener, it really helps.

[00:06:43] Hold that stretch. Breathe into it. That’s it. Inhale, and exhale.

[00:06:48] And now one full-body reach up. Stretch your spine. It’s your lifeline. Keep it healthy. And to the side.

[00:06:56] Stretching feels so good. And there you have some all-day strength training.

[00:07:01] Let’s go on to the living room. [EVENING: TONE YOUR TUMMY FROM THE SOFA]

[00:07:07] Now we’re in the living room. There are lots of ways to stay fit right there in your living room,

[00:07:13] sitting on your couch. Why not firm up the back of your arms? I love this one. It’s called the tricep dip.

[00:07:19] All you do is place your hand on the edge of your couch, lift your body away from the couch, but really close.

[00:07:27] Slide your back along and stretch back up. So bend your elbows back and lift them up straight.

[00:07:35] That’s it. You will start to feel this in the back of your arms. So when you wave goodbye, nothing will jiggle.

[00:07:42] We’ll firm it up, I promise. Just do about 10 of these and you will feel that.

[00:07:47] Yes, but keep your back close to the couch. There.

[00:07:53] And now, one of my favorite ones for the tummy. This is called a tummy tuck, a natural one.

[00:08:00] And it works your ab muscles. So all you do is you lean kind of slightly back

[00:08:06] and you bring in your knees. It’s really working your lower tummy. You stretch your legs back out, and pull them back in.

[00:08:13] So you go out and in. And as you do this, you’re gonna start to feel the lower tummy working.

[00:08:20] It’s a fabulous way to target the tummy right there in your own living room.

[00:08:27] That’s it. And then you could do the sides of the waistline. This is great exercise. Just do what you can.

[00:08:35] But I love this one because it really works the waist, the oblique muscles.

[00:08:40] Good. Just do what you can. You can also just tap. Now you are target toning the lower tummy.

[00:08:47] Keeping your back strong and straight, just tap. Oh, I start to feel right here, right where I need that extra work,

[00:08:54] below the belly button. Good. Just a simple tap is all you need to do on this one.

[00:09:01] Great. OK, now we’re going to work on our thighs to strengthen our quadriceps that help keep our knees healthy.

[00:09:09] So important. OK, sitting up nice and tall, thinking about good posture,

[00:09:14] flex your foot, lift your leg up, and back down. This is a fabulous way to strengthen the quadriceps,

[00:09:23] but sit up nice and tall. That’s it. Good. Notice I’m flexing my foot.

[00:09:28] I really get the muscle work that way. So I love to do about 10 on each thigh.

[00:09:34] Just sitting up tall though, you’ll feel it all through the legs. Such a great way to strengthen the muscles of your legs.

[00:09:43] That’s it. Try to keep the muscles nice and strong. Your quadriceps lifted, helps your knees.

[00:09:50] Great. And then my favorite of all. I lift my chest up, I stretch to the side.

[00:09:57] Oh, finish it off with a beautiful stretch. You could do this in the evening to relax you,

[00:10:03] to really unwind and feel good. And hold the stretch for about 15 seconds

[00:10:10] to really increase your flexibility. That’s it. Always finish with a beautiful stretch.

[00:10:16] Inhale and exhale. Standing up nice and tall. Inhale, and exhale.

[00:10:23] Beautiful. You could do this all day long. [AARP]