Jennifer Aniston works out four, maybe even five, but definitely at least three times per week, with each session running between 45 and 60 minutes. “But if I only have 10 minutes to sweat and move my body,” she recently said, wearing aviators, a red leotard, and sweatpants, backgrounded by a glossy California kitchen, “then 10 minutes is all I need.”
Her favorite pieces of equipment include something called a P.3, a Jennifer Aniston–length cord with a Velcro strap and weighted ball at either end, and some other things called “gliders,” or discs that grant underlying surfaces the friction of a flawless ice plain. “They’re darn hard,” Aniston says. “You can break a sweat within just minutes of doing pikes with gliders.” They fit in your bag; you can take them on vacation, she says.
All of this equipment, and more, is the product of a fitness company called Pvolve. Aniston has been Pvolve’s spokesbody since last year, and an evangelist since 2021, after a friend introduced her to the workout classes. Aniston has tried many workouts in the past, as she explained to Air Mail LOOK in a lightning-round interview, but some things take and others don’t. Another friend recently turned her on to cold plunges, which she loves, but perhaps not enough to install one in her home. “Who needs a cold plunge,” she wonders aloud, when one has a bathtub and ice cubes?
As children, humans are taught that fitness is crucial for a happy and healthy life. Yet some spend their entire lives looking for a workout that delivers on this promise, without being completely unbearable to perform on a regular basis. Aniston was lucky enough to find hers—but only after she tried almost everything else first.
Barbell
“I’ve held one of those.”
Boutique fitness boot camp
“I always find myself getting injured in a boot-camp situation. It’s too fast. Too intense.”
Bikram Yoga
“Is that the hot yoga? O.K.—yes, I’ve tried it. But I’ve also been told by yogi friends of mine that it’s not the best way. It’s a little deceiving, the heat, because you feel like you can do more than you actually can. But to each his own. Go for it!”
CrossFit
“No, no, thank you. Injuries. Doesn’t appeal.”
Hot Girl Walks
“That’s amazing. I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna go find myself some hot girlfriends and go on a hot walk.”
Richard Simmons
“Oh my God! Dolphin shorts? Eighties? Didn’t we all start with Richard Simmons at some point? I did. I also did Jane Fonda workouts. I like that it was done in 20 minutes. I like efficiency. And I could put it right into my VCR and do it at home.”
Rollerblading
“When I lived in New York City, I loved it. I could get from uptown to downtown, downtown to uptown, so fast. Once I figured out how to stop, because that’s the terrifying moment—you first get on and you’re like, ‘Amazing!’ And then, ‘How do I not die?’ I would do it just for fun, and I didn’t really think of it as exercise. I’d just put on my Rollerblades and go to Central Park. But when I was living downtown and had to get uptown, it was a great mode of transportation.”
Spinning
“I love. Again, I injure myself all of the time, but the one thing a [physical therapist] will always say is you can get on a bike! It’s kind to the body. It’s a really great cardio burn. And you’re stationary. Sort of.”
Skiing
“I love to ski. I haven’t skied in … well, that’s not true. I skied last Christmas. I grew up on the East Coast, so I learned to ski on ice, basically. I also learned to drive on the East Coast, in New York City. Everybody thinks I’m a terrible driver, but I think I’m an efficient driver. Anyway, I can ski on ice, and when I finally got to beautiful snow, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is incredible.’ I love Telluride.”
Tai Chi
“Never done it. I remember I’d go to school in the morning and cross through Lincoln Center and see groups of people doing it. Very elegant.
Walking the dog
“Well, obviously. Look at these little creatures. [Aniston holds up her iPhone, whose background photo features two of her dogs, Clyde and Lord Chesterfield.] I don’t have a routine. I just walk them. We play ball. I throw things. They chase them.”
12-3-30
[A treadmill exercise that dictates a 12-point incline at three speed for 30 minutes, which Aniston is unfamiliar with.]
“That sounds amazing. I’ll try it after all of this today. ”
Brennan Kilbane is a New York–based writer. He is originally from Cleveland, and his interviews and essays have appeared in GQ, New York magazine, and Allure, where he was recently on staff as a features writer