Brooke Burke thinks you don’t have to wait until the New Year to kick start your resolutions.
The former host of “Dancing with the Stars” encouraged her followers to get off to a good start on their fitness goals by sharing some of her must-have moves to look — and feel — great.
In 2017, the mother of four developed “Brooke Burke’s Body,” an app that offers hundreds of “stackable” workout programs ranging from five to 30 minutes that can be done anywhere without equipment. Her goal, she said, was to make exercise more accessible to busy moms who struggle to make time for themselves.
“I think one of the most common mistakes is that people don’t know where to start,” the 51-year-old told Fox News Digital. “They lose their sense of themselves, their self-confidence. They don’t know how to create change. So they don’t do anything, which would be the biggest mistake… If you don’t know how to start changing your body, just do something. Take a walk, start small… Doing something is better than nothing. This is the most common conversation I have with women.
Burke acknowledged that when it comes to start a new workout regimen, there may be insecurity and a lack of energy. However, she encouraged others to experiment with different workouts to find the best one that gives them joy and confidence.
“We know that after a workout we have more energy than we had when we started,” she explained. “And we know that a sense of accomplishment encourages us to get up and start again tomorrow. There’s just a lot of self-talk, this negative dialogue inside that tells us, ‘I don’t know if I’m enough. strong. I don’t like it, I don’t want it. So I have to go through this. Motivation is a big part of that, and that’s hard for a lot of people, myself included. Especially as a woman with hormones, fatigue, life, kids, work – all of those things are real reasons.”
“There will always be an excuse not to train,” she continued. “So I like to encourage people to commit to a program. Maybe it’s a 28-day program. You can decide, ‘This month…I’m going to give myself 15 minutes a day to train’ and deliver on that promise… By the end of a program, you’ll feel so good you’ll want to do it again.”
The star insisted that it’s possible to launch new health goals during the holiday season, a time when many enjoy comfort foods and drinks at parties and get-togethers. Burke said she enjoys creating daily challenges for herself to give her a sense of accomplishment, which will encourage her to keep going. She also recommended creating a 30-day program where you stay committed to sweating for 30 days straight. It’s a way to build a healthier habit, and it can be done on your schedule.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“During the holidays, [have] a little more water than alcohol,” she chuckled. “Never go to a party hungry. That’s when you start making bad choices. I think you need to sweat a little more. You can increase your cardio and find things that are doable and easy to follow…I love committing to 15 minutes a day and getting creative. I think fitness should be fun and I like to mix things up so we can stay engaged… The digital world of fitness is amazing. Whether it’s my app or something else, like YouTube, there are programs that are practically free… You have to take the time… Find things you like. Otherwise, you will be bored… You can skip a Zoom course. If you want to turn off your camera, that’s OK. If you have it, someone is there to help you make corrections. It really is a good time to start. Find a partner to train with if you need motivation and get some free content to get started.”
Burke said one workout routine she’s been enjoying lately is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s short, intense exercise, like burpees, jumping jacks, and mountain climbing, that helps burn calories fast.
“I like it because you used to go to a cardio class that was 45 minutes long and the inner dialogue was like, ‘Oh my God, how much longer? I’m not going to pass this class. ‘ Now we can do bursts and power spurts to get that heart rate up. We also get an amazing after burn. I like to get the heart rate up, recover and [do it all over]. There is a lot of recovery because otherwise, we apprehend it before starting. And I think fitness should be a challenge. It should be uncomfortable, but I think it should also be doable. Otherwise, you’re not going to come back and do it again.”
“I also do a lot of yoga, a lot of stretching, and a lot of Pilates-inspired moves,” she said. “The times when you get your heart rate up and sweating are the times that change your body. But it has to be fun. And then I probably relax for three minutes and do it again. And then I do a stretch and resume my breath and start again… I also like compound movements where I use my core. I do my abs while I work my lower body and maybe use light weights for the arms. If you don’t’ If you don’t have a yoga mat, lay out a towel.”
BROOKE BURKE REVEALS FITNESS TIPS SHE WANTS TO GIVE YOUNGER: ‘SMART SWEATSHIRT’
Burke also advised incorporating healthier ingredients into our favorite holiday dishes. More recently, she launched Longevity, a superfood blend, she said. can be added to a recipe.
“I don’t like being hungry,” she said. “I do intermittent fasting, but I also really believe in fueling the brain and creating energy through what I put into my body nutritionally. I like high-protein snacks. One of my favorite snacks right now is to take some dates, remove the core, cut it in half, put a dollop of almond butter then sprinkle [some] cocoa powder on top. I put it in the freezer and the kids catch them. I feel like if we have healthy, conscious snacks on hand, we don’t make bad choices.”
“It’s neither too late nor too early to start your goals,” she advised. “All you need is a playlist and engagement.”