Customer Reviews

Fit and Fabulous After 40: A 5-Part Program for Turning Back the Clock

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I always liked Denise Austin's low impact aerobics tapes because they were sane and do-able. Now, Austin provides the same type of good advice in a book that is head and shoulders above other "after 40" books I have read.

The theme of Fit and Fabulous After 40 is how to get into the groove of habits that set you up for great health. One important one Austin puts in the book is to start up a four-week plan for exercise. This is important to avoid a lifetime of fitness attempts that are just a series of great beginnings and no follow-through. The inclusion of Kegel exercises is clever. While you are building good exercise habits, you can incorporate simple but valuable pelvic exercises that pay off big time later on.

Austin doesn't neglect eating habits and gives tips on avoiding trouble spots when you go to fast-food restaurants. Again, this helps you to build good habits. And there are tips for getting into the habit of taking the right medical tests for preventative health care.

In my opinion, this is one of the best "After 40" health books ever written because it has not only the right information, but it presents it so you can develop good habits and keep them. Hurray, Denise! Good job!

I bought this book and the video Staying Fit at any age. Both have been great assests for me. So motivating in fact, that I get up at 7am now to do her Fit and Lite and Denise Austin works out on Lifetime. Then I flip open the book and plan goals for the day. She is very motivating. I think it's because she's 'natural' ah..no...'falseness'....if you get what I mean. She's just regular and she treats us that way too. A good buy for the money, I certainly recommend it. The receipes are great

Any woman over 40 will find much useful information in this book. Ms. Austin looks at how attention to exercise, nutrition, health, beauty, and attitude can make women feel and look better while actually being healthier and more energetic. Her writing style is positive and friendly, and she addresses many important issues about women's health that I have not seen as well addressed in other books. The exercises are well illustrated, and even I could use most of the recipes. The book has two weaknesses that you should watch out for. Some of the exercises (especially the yoga) could cause you to hurt your back. The proposed diet, while a healthy one, is not as well suited for all blood types as Live Right 4 Your Type would recommend. The diet here seems to be pretty close to the ideal one for those with Type B blood.

Unlike some authors who write about health and aging, Ms. Austin consulted experts to give you the latest information. She also adds her own experiences as a working mother of two. The practical advice for how to get more done in less time will be very welcome for busy women.

By having a balance of exercise, a better diet, living a healthier lifestyle, using beauty restoratives, and maintaining a positive attitude, you should live longer, look better, and enjoy a healthier life. If you ignore the exercises that could strain your back and follow Live Right 4 Your Type for a diet that matches your blood type, this is clearly a five star book. If you have cardiovascular disease, your diet will have to go the low-fat route more than either book recommends (see Dean Ornish's Reversing Heart Disease).

Having seen how much more specific the book could be by focusing on women over 40, I came away impressed that more health books should take such a more segmented approach. In many cases, Ms. Austin is able to give you advice by decade of age to make her recommendations even more specific. For example, the book includes Kegel exercises to strengthen muscles in the pelvic area that can be weakened after childbirth or during menopause. The number and variety of exercises to tone specific sections of the body are truly amazing. No wonder Ms. Austin looks so much younger than her years! I admire her hard work very much now that I better understand what is required.

But the book also ties this information into helping you set goals and establish new habits. If you don't make changes, then all of this information does you no good. Obviously, no one will make all of these changes. Ms. Austin does a good job of helping you understand which changes will probably be the most helpful for you. She uses a combination of quizzes about your current life style and research on the benefits of changes to give you that perspective.

After you finish reading and learning from this book, you might also want to think about toning up your relationships with other people. As Dean Ornish points out in Love and Survival and Ms. Austin emphasizes here, having more and better human connection is great for health and longevity. You might find books like Life Strategies and Relationship Rescue to be helpful for that area, as well.

Imagine yourself more positively relating to others and to yourself. May you find all the love you would like to have in the process!

This is the best book that Denise has written. I am over 40 years old. My body is going through dramatic changes. This book does teach you how to take care yourself when you are over 40. It answered my questions that my doctor can't answer. Denise, thank you for caring about your fans! I am recommending this book to all of my friends.

I think this book is fantastic. It has very realistic goals and outlooks. It would be beneficial to use in the way it is laid out. Denise encourages you to be your best and to take it one step at a time. She designed the book so you can set weekly goals for yourself in the five areas of attitude, beauty, health, nutrition, and exercise. I rarely buy books opting the check them out of the library, copy what i want/need and go on, but I purchased this book due to the simplicity and useability.

I see now the book's on sale. Lots of ideas and tips in here. Nothing earth shaking, but good ideas on how to implement all the things we know we need to do. I like that it's comprehensive--a little bit about a lot of things--skin care, diet, exercise, emotional tips, health, etc. Ms. Austin is inspirational because she is loaded with "can-do" attitude. So overall, a good value.

As a fan of Denise Austin's I had to purchase her latest book, Fit and Fabulous After 40 and I was very impressed with her book. I knew it would be good since Densie wrote it. It's so refreshing to have someone teaching realistic and sensible approaches to having and keeping good health. She is my favorite fitness expert and one reason for that is she's believable and real not some Hollywood star who doesn't have the knowledge and dedication that Denise has. I'm still in the process of reading her book and am enjoying every minute of it. I highly recommend it for anyone who really does want to be Fit and Fabulous After 40.

Yours in fitness, Linda Snyder

I had high hopes for this book. All the material in it is very basic and mostly already known. It boasts a 28 day plan but gives everything piecemeal. By the time you get to the days plans, all it is is 7 days of menu plans. For everything else you have to search through the chapters.

This was a great book to read. Full of common sense and healthy advice. Denise's approach to a healthy lifestyle is refreshing after all of the don't eat this don't eat that diets today. I am recommending this book to all of my friends.

For women over 40 this is a good start or a better building block. I started exerciseing with a local gym recently and have refered this book to them for we women over 40. I was not in shape when I started and this was challenging enough to not get discourged. Great job!