For over 30 years, Jennifer Aniston has been an icon that women everywhere have attempted to copy. Whether it’s her hair, glowing skin, or stylish girl-next-door appeal, we want to have some of that in our lives as well. And since she’s looking strong, healthy, and happy at 55, her workout habits are—even now—a source of inspiration. Some women even admit to Googling Jen’s abs to find the motivation they need to get moving at the gym!
Jennifer Aniston Workout Guide At 55
She puts in the time
In her newsroom-based series, Aniston shared that she attempts to fit in a workout at least five times a week. In an interview with Healthista, Mandy Ingber – Aniston’s yoga and spin teacher for the last 15 years – says that she and her clients work hard to get daily exercise.
Jennifer has also been involved with the fitness studio Pvolve for some time now, and the benefits she has received go far beyond what you would normally expect. Pvolve focuses on a low-impact, resistance equipment-focused program and has also taken the time and care to create workouts specifically suited to pre and postmenopausal women whose needs change over time.
Goodbye long workouts, hello short bursts
In an interview with British Vogue, Jen explained that Pvolve has transformed her mindset about working out. The way she thinks about exercise has absolutely evolved over the years, which is a good thing, considering she made her debut during the height of the toxic diet culture of the 1990s and 00s.
“It used to be pounding, pounding, pounding,” Jen said of her former go-to workouts. “You had to get 45 minutes to an hour of cardio; otherwise, you weren’t getting a workout.”
Then, in 2021, she had a back injury, which encouraged her to give Pvolve a go and trade her in cardio-heavy workouts for something that targets muscles that are usually asleep.
Strength training helps to maintain a pain-free life
Cardio alone isn’t the answer to solving your exercise woes. Instead, Jennifer and her trainer, Dani Coleman, have created workouts that focus on functional movements that allow you to build strength and result in a pain-free daily life.
“We lose our muscle as we get older, and all these wonderful things start to happen,” she jokes.
“But strength training not only helps maintain your muscle, it helps with avoiding osteoporosis in the future. Our bones have to stay strong because as we get older we fall over, [and] we can’t get up. And then you break a hip, or you break a shoulder, and that can lead to all sorts of stuff.” Jennifer told TZR.
On top of that, science seems to agree with Jen. According to a 2020 study published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, we can help prevent the development and progression of osteoporosis by engaging in regular physical activity. Resistance-based movements and varying types of exercises you partake in enhance this effect substantially. Pvolve incorporates this into their methods and thereby helps maintain these anti-aging effects.
Core strength is vital
“Over time, our spines do degenerate, I hate to say it,” Aniston says. “That lends itself to back issues, which is another wonderful bit of information you start to get at the doctor’s office when you get older. ‘Natural degeneration.’ What? Please can you just give us a heads up that these things are coming so we’re not just getting sucker punched with this awful information?” Thankfully, she explains, Pvolve was designed to help prevent injury.
Because of this, we must keep our core strong, which can prevent further issues down the line. What Pvolve does so well are the workouts’ functional movements. These ensure you are working with all your muscle groups.
Jennifer also told TZR that what makes Pvolve such a game-changer is how it delved into the needs of women over 40. Particularly when it comes to the research they do. A clinical study found that their workouts successfully increased energy levels and lowered blood lipids in women between the ages of 40-60. It further improves balance and mobility and increases lean muscle. (Compared to moderate cardio and traditional strength training) in the same age group.
Wise words from Jennifer
Jennifer shared some helpful information. She told TZR,
“Perimenopause, post-menopause, this is all a new topic. Your body just changes and no one is informing us women as we get to 30, 35, 40 that these physical changes are going to start to happen.”
That’s why one of Aniston’s biggest fitness tips for women over 50 is simply to find a doctor you trust and ask questions.
“Information is everything, right?
You need to have the information so you can prepare yourself for it. And understand what your hormone levels are — not all hormones are created equal.
It’s like a moving target. That’s going to affect your energy levels, and your motivation. No matter what workout you have, if it’s the most incredible and interesting thing in the world, there are going to be physical changes that you need to address to continue optimal physical activity.”
The bottom line
If you are interested in working out like Jennifer, consider what your body needs at this moment. Then, alter your workouts accordingly. Whether that’s following in Jennifer’s footsteps, which I don’t believe you can go wrong with, or if your body requires something else. As women, we need to listen to our bodies and supply them with what they require at every the moment.
References
Pinheiro MB, Oliveira J, Bauman A, Fairhall N, Kwok W, Sherrington C. Evidence on physical activity and osteoporosis prevention for people aged 65+ years: a systematic review to inform the WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020 Nov 26;17(1):150. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01040-4. PMID: 33239014; PMCID: PMC7690138.
https://www.thezoereport.com/culture/jennifer-aniston-fitness-after-50
https://www.pvolve.com/blogs/all/healthy-aging-clinical-study
https://www.pvolve.com/pages/method
https://www.vogue.com/article/jennifer-aniston-fitness-routine-movement
