Growing up, we remember watching Denise Austin as her fitness DVDs ensured that we targeted areas of our body that we wanted to optimize. Her videos included positivity, fun outfits, beach locales when she was outside of her studio and Katie Austin appeared on set from time to time as a child.
Clearly, Katie is all grown up and is continuing in her mom's footsteps. We caught up with Katie to find out what brought her to the fitness industry, what we can expect from her fitness methods and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: We know your mom (clearly) as we grew up watching our mom's work out to Denise Austin, when did you have that moment that you knew you wanted to delve into the
fitness industry?
KATIE AUSTIN: It was never a moment it was more like steps I took in life to realize! Ever since I was little, I grew up watching my mom film her shows and got to travel with her to all these different cool locations. My mom always tells me that even when I was 3 years old I’d sit and watch her film as my sister would be playing in the pool or catching lizards. She said she knew
then that I’d be into it! BUT it wasn’t until college that I thought of the fitness industry as a career. After I moved on from playing D1 lacrosse at USC, I decided to do weekly fitness segments on the college station. After a great reaction from my student segments for a year, I decided to start a blog. And it started from there.
AM: Having a fitness icon such as your mom, what did you learn from her that you have applied to your unique mark in the industry?
KA: I feel like there are three big things I have learned from her.
1. Always be positive- no matter what. People look up to you for that light.
2. Make your workouts practical for your target demographic. She knows exactly what the regular girl wants and can do for their daily lifestyle.
3. Sounds cliché, but always stay true to yourself! Be authentic, and just be you. Because people will love the real YOU.
AM: Tell us about Get Fit With Katie.com and what one can expect from this membership workout site.
KA: So my site is still kind of new!! I just launched my membership program about 2 and a half months ago. It’s really exciting for me because it’s a subscription plan for all my followers. Meaning it’s a big library of all my workout videos, 50+, and counting because I always add new ones! So you can either pick and choose what workout you’re feeling up to that day whether
that’s abs, booty, cardio, etc. OR follow my exact workouts I give you in my Daily Workout Calendar- like a guide within the subscription!
AM: What is your goal with Get Fit With Katie.com and where do you see it in 5
years?
KA: My dream for forever has been to My dream for forever has been to have a TV show. I studied TV production at USC and just fell in love with it. I actually am a sports host for Fox on
the side as well, so combining my love for hosting and TV with fitness is the goal. So to have a fitness/wellness TV show like my mom did would be my 5 year plan!
AM: Everyone is focused on how they can have energy packed meals that they can take with them for lunch, what are 5 dishes for the work week that are easy to make that can be enjoyed
on the run?
KA: Well I’m all about keeping meals SIMPLE. In my food guide, my recipes are all 7 ingredients or less, so it’s never anything too complicated. Usually I do a grain (brown rice- or quinoa, not technically a grain but I consider it one), with a healthy fat (avocado), with a protein (grilled chicken or salmon) and 2 different kinds of veggies (like zucchini and carrots).
AM: What is your personal style when you are working out versus when you're going out to brunch?
KA: When I’m working out I love being colorful, I love wearing bright sports bras and leggings. I also LOVE high-waisted workout leggings because they hold everything in!! For brunch, I would usually wear a sundress with some wedges! I also love wearing one piece leotards right now.
It’s funny because I always wear my mom’s old 80’s workout leotards to go out in, and ALWAYS get compliments and questions on where they’re from. I have to use that Mean Girls line... “It’s
my mom’s from the 80s.. Vintage!”
AM: When you work out, what is on your playlist?
KA: I love the two opposite types of music. Hip hop/rap or country. So usually Drake, Future, Nicki Minaj, OR Little Big Town, Maren Morris, or Jason Aldean!!
AM: What are 3 of your favorite workouts and what areas are they targeting?
KA: I love HIIT [High intensity interval training], dance cardio, and basic toning moves. Dance cardio is a great way to have fun while burning calories, and my toning moves (like leg lifts, bicep curls, etc.) are a great way to sculpt my muscles. But, I definitely see most results with HIIT workouts. Usually, my HIIT workouts are a combination of cardio and toning, and they’re QUICK! So they’re more intense in a shorter amount of time to make them super effective.
Read more from the Aug Issue and see Keeping it Simple with Katie Austin in mag
