If you have 30 minutes, you can change your body and your life.

That's the message exercise guru Denise Austin has been pushing for decades.

LOUIE FAVORITE/AJC (ENLARGE)

Exercise guru Denise Austin demonstrating some correct and incorrect ways to perform some basic exercises.

LOUIE FAVORITE/AJC (ENLARGE)

Austin is 51 years-old and fit.

Photos: Denise Austin poses 'Good forms' Blog: How do you make time for fitness? MAKE FITNESS A PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE Get started. The biggest challenge to any new fitness plan is simply getting started. From a walk around the block to lunges in the living room, start simple by incorporating just 10 minutes of exercise into your daily routine. Your body will instantly feel energized, and you will begin to build good fitness habits. Stay motivated. Schedule regular workouts such as walks with family and friends. Once your "fitness date" is recorded in your daily planner, you are committed and more likely to follow through. Do something. Turn "aisle time" into toning time. Squeeze your tummy while you're shopping for healthy snacks at the grocery store. Five seconds of squeezing your abs equals one sit-up, and remember, your muscles don't know you're not at the gym. Source: Denise Austin For exercises you can do around the house, visit www.smuckers.com/simplesteps. Related workout stories: Having a pup can firm you up  High on hula: Atlanta in the loop of the latest exercise trend  Jogging club has a mission: Chasing the fear of crime  Walk-N-Tone exercise video whittles off a size  Jazzercise classes don't feel like exercise  Photos: Workout routines you can do at home Topic: Atlanta Fitness Get ready for the AJC's Peachtree Road Race Back to Health news

Since she hit the airways as Jack LaLanne's co-host in the early 1980s, the perky and enthusiastic Austin has charmed her way into the homes and hearts of many couch potatoes and fitness wannabes. Twenty-five years, several television shows, 84 DVDs and 10 books later, her less-is-more message still rings the same.

"People think they have to go to the gym for two hours, but all you need is 30 minutes if you're consistent," said Austin, whose exercise programs integrate a variety of disciplines including yoga, Pilates, cross-training and aerobic exercise.

"Consistency is key, and it pays off."

It's also important to change your routine often, she said. "It surprises your muscles and helps to prevent hitting a plateau."

A member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Austin encourages people of all ages to stay fit and works to find solutions to weight control.

Austin recently stopped by the Journal-Constitution and shared her secrets for better health and fitness.

What are the biggest mistakes people make?

Not doing anything. They don't get moving enough, and they don't stay active. Get up off that couch and do something. Even if it's just 10 minutes a day, you can get fit by sticking to a plan. Little things I do throughout the day help me stay in shape. Pull your tummy muscles in while driving to work. Five seconds of ab-squeezing equals one sit-up.

Do isometric exercises — they really do work. Stand up and move. Anything to stay active will help you burn more calories during the course of the day. Your muscles don't know if you're in a kitchen or a fancy gym; just move them. Circulation is what helps heal your body.

The other mistake is people trying to do too much too soon, and they get discouraged, injured or sore. Do a little at a time.

What are the most challenging areas of the body for women [female fat zones]?

Legs, and after babies, the lower part of the tummy [around the waistline] is where fat accumulates. You need a three-prong attack:

• Cardio [walking, biking, swimming]. Burns fat from the whole body and fights heart disease, three to four times a week.

• Nutrition. Don't eat a lot of calories, and portion control. It's about calories in and calories out: how many are you eating and how many are you burning through exercise?

• Tone. Target and strengthen core muscles with lunges and squats. Keep those areas nice and toned. Stretching is also important.

The combination of cardio, strength training and stretching [is] all-important to hit throughout a week, and that's what's kept me fit through the years.

See additional fitness tips below.

Do you have problem areas?

Sure, I have problem spots myself; I'm not perfect. I fight my tummy all the way with the three-prong attack. When I don't do enough cardio, I can see it in my tummy. Toning becomes more important so nothing droops and sags. As I hit 50, I started adding a little more yoga into [the] routine.

What's your workout routine?

I'm a busy wife and mother [of two daughters] and I never miss their games. So I have to squeeze it in like everybody else. I get up 30 minutes earlier than I have to. Most of the time I do cardio — a 30-minute run or a DVD. Sometimes [I] work out with my husband in the gym; he gets on the life cycle and I do the treadmill. We also play tennis a lot. I only work out for 30 minutes, but I do it every day.

Do you work out to music?

Sure. I love music, and we play music in the house and I dance with my daughters.

I love pretty music to stretch to, and I have over 2,000 songs on my iPod. It's a very eclectic mix from Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Aaron Neville, Beatles, Hannah Montana and Dave Matthews Band.

When did you reach your personal best?

My best was probably around age 40 or 41. I was more focused on eating healthier. Before, I just loved food and could eat anything. [Around 40] I ate healthier, and now don't eat anything with partially hydrogenated oils, eat more fish and less junk.

I eat well 80 percent of the time and have my junk 20 percent of the time.

Junk? How do you indulge yourself?

Coffee ice cream. That's my dessert!

How important is the role of food?

Eating and exercise go hand in hand to look your best and be strong and healthy.

I'm a big believer in carbohydrates and good eating.

I eat every three to four hours, and I do not believe in skipping meals. To keep my metabolism steady, I eat smaller snacks throughout the day. I like to cook and do it most nights of the week, especially while the kids are in school.

When you cook, do you really eat those Idaho potatoes you endorse?

Absolutely. Potatoes are a great source of good carbohydrates.

I'm a big believer in fruits and vegetables.

How do you stay motivated?

I try not to get down. I know how good I feel when I'm exercising. It gives me energy, and it makes me feel good. I do it because I love to have energy: Exercise equals energy.

I love to wake up happy and be fit. God gave us one body, and you have to take care of it.

It's up to you to choose what you eat and what you do.

When do you feel really fit?

I wear a bikini or a cute little black dress, sleeveless or even a halter.

Have you ever had or considered plastic surgery?

Never done anything; I'm skeptical and nervous to do something like that. I'm 100 percent natural, and I hope to stay that way forever.

But I'll never say "never," because you never know.

What's ahead for Denise Austin?

I've done so many great things in my career that I feel fulfilled, but there's so much more to do to encourage people.

I love what I do and just want to keep it going; I want to hit all 50 states to speak to kids and talk about fitness. I don't want to retire; I don't have time to retire.