Why Fitness Influencer Katie Austin Wants to Remove the Word "Motivation" From Exercise

According to fitness influencer Katie Austin, it's time to re-shape our mindset on working out.

The 28-year-old, who is the daughter of fitness legend Denise Austin, said in an interview with E! News that the key to consistently incorporating exercise into your routine has nothing to do with motivation. In recent years, it's become a buzzy term that's been thrown around a lot in the community. However, Katie explained why "people need to spin the word" and get into a different head space.

"You don't always wake up with motivation," the Sports Illustrated model pointed out. "I'm not motivated to work out, it's actually discipline. It should be a habit and ingrained in your schedule."

She continued, "Because you're not always going to be motivated. Just tell yourself you're going to work out for 10 minutes, you're going to start to work out and feel better. You're going to keep going and love the way your body feels."

Stars' Best Body Positive Quotes

Katie, who is known for sharing relatable work outs and healthy recipes on the Katie Austin app, reminded that starting small leads to greater results. A huge mistake people tend to make, she said, is that they "look at the big picture."

"They're scrolling on Instagram or TikTok, they're seeing CrossFit workouts or really intense 45-minute workouts. And they're like, 'I can't do that, so I'm just going to give up on working out,'" she noted. "It's all about realizing that five to 10 minutes can really add up and you can always go up from there."

Denise shared similar sentiments as her daughter, telling E! News, "Your muscles don't know if you're in a fancy gym or in the kitchen."

"Do squats in the kitchen, do a push up against the kitchen counter, move those muscles," she encouraged. "If you do a minute here, a minute there, you could add it up to 20 different moves throughout the day—and you've had a 20-minute workout."

Considering Denise celebrated 40 years in the fitness industry and even has her own health magazine Fit Over 50, it's safe to say she knows exactly what she's talking about.

"I'm proud of looking back and having such a fulfilling career. To know I've helped women all over for years and years makes me feel so good and so content," she expressed, noting she's "overjoyed" that her daughter "wanted to follow in my footsteps."

According to Denise, having social media accounts is one of the ways she's stayed on people's radar, explaining it's "fantastic because you get to hear from your people. I had to wait for letters to come to the TV station."

However, Katie explains that social media comes with its own downsides for both of them.

"She's new to the haters. Back then, she's on TV and no one could really send her a hate DM like they can to me," Katie said. "I get a lot of haters online. Showing exactly who you are and being vulnerable is really hard on social media, because you're opening up to the world to say whatever opinions that they want."

"But," Katie continued, looking at the bright side, "that's the beauty of it, too. Reaching so many people and making sure that all opinions are heard, I think getting that feedback right away is really important."

But Katie points out that the benefits to exercise extend beyond what it does to a person physically, noting that it is "not only good for your physical health but I'm big on working out for your mental health."

"There's a lot of fitness programs about losing weight and I've never revolved my workouts around that," she continued. "I personally believe that you work out to feel your best self. Working out truly makes you feel better, more confident, more productive and accomplished. It's also what makes my mom and I so positive. It can really switch your mindset and perspective."

Luckily for fans, Katie and Denise are passionate about sharing their tips and tricks to looking and feeling great. As Katie summed it up, "That's the entire reason we're both in the fitness industry, we want to empower girls to feel their best selves."

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