When you think of Denise Austin, the first thing that comes to mind is exercise. With more than 40 exercise videos ranging from kickboxing to power yoga and as host of two fitness shows on Lifetime Television, Austin is certainly known for expertise in the world of fitness. But there's a lot more to this 5-foot, 4-inch dynamo. Austin also is a wife, mother of two girls and an avid spokesperson for family fitness dedicated to reducing the obesity level of all children.

Fit Families
The President selected Austin, along with 20 others, to serve on his Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which will work to raise Americans' awareness of the importance of personal fitness and becoming healthier. She joins baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, Olympic gold medallist Marion Jones, football player Emmitt Smith and more.

"I am honored to be asked by President Bush to be part of such an important commission," says Austin. "It is my goal to motivate families to become more active together and view exercise as an activity that can be enjoyed." As part of the council, she plans to visit schools across the country, leading students in a fun workout to "get them motivated and re-energized."

"We are going to flood the U.S. with really good energy in the schools," she says.

Austin says that children need to get at least 30 minutes – 60 minutes ideally – of exercise every day, and one of the council's goals will be to make kids and parents aware of this. She feels one of the best ways for kids to get their daily exercise is by doing it with their parents. "I think parents need to get involved with their kids in activities," says Austin. "It's something to do together as a family instead of just sitting and watching TV."

Austin, the mother of two girls, gets her family moving by doing fun activities. She puts on their favorite music, be it Britney Spears or N'Sync, and everyone dances together. They also Rollerblade, walk, bike, play Lacrosse, play tennis, ice skate, hike and much more. She tries to play with them 30 minutes every day after school, and on the weekends, the whole family, including Dad, spends one hour together exercising. "It's instilling in your kids a lifetime of activity," she says.

Staying in Shape
To keep herself in shape, Austin follows the same philosophy: making fitness fun and fitting it in wherever she can. For example, while doing this interview by phone, she was walking around to burn more calories, and she even does leg lifts while brushing her teeth every night.

She offers the same advice to women wanting to get fit, especially busy moms. Getting in 30 minutes of exercise a day doesn't have to be a solid 30 minutes doing a video or participating in a class, she says. It can be running up the stairs to your child's school, doing 10 minutes of sit-ups during a TV program or any way you can fit it in. She also tells women to mix up their workouts. "I just don't think you should do the same thing every single day," Austin says. "It's constantly evolving and progressing and gradually making a difference in your body."

One of Austin's favorite workouts is Pilates. She has a video and book, both titled Pilates for Every Body (Rodale Press, 2002), dedicated to the popular exercise method. While she says Pilates can't replace aerobic exercise, it's a great complement. Pilates works on your core muscles including your abs, back and waistline. "I do a 20-minute Pilates session every day," says Austin. "It's really easy. You can do it right there in the privacy of your own home. You don't have to buy expensive equipment."

Overall, she says the perfect way to stay in shape would be doing cardio exercise four times a week for 30 minutes, strength training twice a week for 30 minutes and yoga or Pilates (or a combination) twice a week for 30 minutes.

Eating Well
Of course, staying in shape is not all about exercise. It's also about the way you eat. "I love food," says Austin. "I grew up in a big family where meals were important. That's truly why I need to exercise, because I love to eat."

While she does watch her diet and her family's, she doesn't eliminate all of the "bad" stuff. "We eat well, but we also have treats," she says. For example, her daughters have to eat their veggies, but then they also get a dessert.

To get her daughters to eat more healthfully, she tries to introduce new foods once a month. Each time they have the new food, she has them eat two bites. Over time, they have gradually come to love foods they used to hate like artichokes. She also uses techniques such as boiling broccoli in chicken stock instead of water and mixing brown rice, which they don't like, with white rice, which they do like.

As for herself, "I really check labels for partially-hydrogenated anything," she says. Instead, she uses olive oil, avocados or nuts for good fat. She also likes to grind flax seeds to add to meals.

Balancing Work and Family
How does such a busy mom balance work and home? She makes her family a priority. On a typical day, she works from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. when she picks her daughters up from school. "After 3, I become a true mom," Austin says. "I try not to do any business when I'm home."

She also has a supportive husband – sports attorney Jeff Austin, brother of tennis champ Tracy Austin – to make the task easier. She does have to travel frequently to exotic locations to film her Lifetime show, and the couple makes sure that one of them is always home. "I have a great, supportive husband. He's the best dad," says Austin. "When I travel, he's home by 5 o'clock for them."

Austin tries to do a lot of filming over four-day weekends so her daughters can join her while out of school. "They've traveled since they were 6 weeks old," she says. "They get to go to beautiful places. They're good travelers. It's part of their life."

One parenting practice that really works for her, and which she recommends to others, is to keep a positive attitude. "I try to be a happy mom," says Austin. "I think your mood in your household is what carries over to your children as well as your husband. Your outlook carries throughout the whole day and into the evening."

But whatever she's doing, it's working. "I still dance and enjoy life as if I'm 28."