Back in the 1980s, Jane Fonda popularized the old saying, ”No pain, no gain” in her exercise videos. The phrase became so mainstream that parents of the 80s loved saying it to their kids in any ol’ situation in which they found it applicable. “What’s that? Your hands hurt after practicing for your piano recital? You don’t want to study for that final exam? No pain, no gain, baby!” Maybe that was just my parents who loved using that phrase to motivate me.
Anyway, for almost four decades, people have been telling themselves that if they want to see results from their workouts, they need to push themselves to the point of feeling the physical effects. Jennifer Aniston is here to tell you that this way of thinking is a lie! In June 2023, Jen partnered with a low-impact fitness program called Pvolve. Pvolve’s methods involve resistance-training, strength-training, and sculpting to stay in shape. For Jen, Pvolve’s big draw is that she gets a great workout without the intensity.
“No pain, no gain. That’s not true at all,” the actress, 55, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “You can actually have gain with no pain.”
Detailing that her understanding of health and fitness has evolved over the years, as she has picked up routines and different tips and tricks along the way, Aniston says, “I know more, because I’ve tried it all.”
“And my big takeaway is, ‘Boy, you didn’t have to hurt your body so much back then. You didn’t need to beat yourself up,’ ” she continues.
According to Aniston, the “no pain, no gain” idea that so many follow within the fitness world was something she originally believed as well.
“I always had the message in my brain,” The Morning Show star explains. “You gotta do 45 minutes of cardio, then floor work and then weights.”
But, through her ongoing partnership with Pvolve, a low-impact fitness program, Aniston says she has discovered a newfound appreciation for workouts — and how they don’t have to be painful.
“You can actually enjoy your workout, not break your body and have an incredible transformation,” she says. “In all the workouts I’ve tried over the years, this one has transformed my body more than any of the others.”
One other thing that Aniston doesn’t believe in, she says, is making New Year’s resolutions — including health-related ones.
“I’m not a good person to ask about that. I don’t make resolutions,” the star tells PEOPLE. ” I really don’t. I don’t want to let myself down. I don’t want to fail at that.”
Instead pointing to Pvolve’s “strength redefined” New Year challenge, Aniston says that is something others can get behind instead of making a 365 days-long resolution. “You are not giving yourself up for the next year,” she says.
“If you only can make it for two of those weeks, and it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work,” adds the Friends alum. “But I guarantee you, you won’t. You’ll get the bug. Everybody I’ve spoken to, people just get the bug, and they just love it.”
Preach, Jen! I love that she’s speaking out about this. You can totally see results without going to the extreme. For the longest time, the whole “no pain, no gain” mentality gave me a terrible relationship with working out. I’d feel “guilty” if I “just” did pilates or “just” did a yoga class. If I wasn’t sweating or pushed to the point of exhaustion, I didn’t think I was doing exercise right. I’d feel guilty and beat myself up for not working hard enough. It took me years to learn – after I started taking barre classes and saw the results – that sometimes, it’s about doing the smaller movements that strengthen your core and keep your metabolism up for the entire day. Plus, as I get older, I’ve come to value my knees more. Lower-impact can be just as effective as higher-impact.
Photos credit: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Getty and via Instagram/PVolve
Omg, so many bad knees from Jane Fonda’s workouts. And the resolutions – you start out the year listing all your negatives and then beat yourself up for not being better. Who thought that was a good idea? Well, every industry that profits from low self-esteem.
Weights and resistance are fantastic for women as we age! Jen looks fantastic, so good for her.
Tons of videos and trainers on YouTube. FitbyMik and Jessica Valant Pilates are two of my faves.
I just started following Jessica Valant because she has post hysterectomy workouts!
Has anyone tried Pvolve? It keeps coming across my feed and I am deeply curious (I am also a sucker for anything well-marketed).
I love barre and yoga so I am with her on the l low impact train
I got all the equipment and a year subscription package 2 years ago. I really liked it but just didn’t do it. I was 100 lbs heavier and while I didn’t find it hard like a boot camp it was work and I just didn’t have the mentality to do it regularly. I do yoga and some light resistance but am seriously considering getting the subscription again. It’s really really good for core and functional fitness. Maybe that’s the problem is my core is really weak and I am slowly working on that. I just felt like it really strengthened the small balance muscles better than other exercises. Prevent falls and such
Thank you!
If you’re a mother, check yourself for slight abdominal separation, a common cause of a weak core. Other symptoms include lower back pain and mom pooch. Crunches make it worse, but physical therapy can quickly make it better.
I purchased Pvolve & a subscription to the online classes. I am 60 and have never looked or felt better. I needed to add resistance training to my workouts to help lower my A1C (more lean muscle gives the glucose more surface area to go to) and after 90 days, I dropped 2 sizes and my A1C is normal. It is definitely something to which I need to discipline myself in as far as making sure I work out at least 3x/week. Not every workout is for every person. Some I adore and have on repeat, some are just not for me. I have a hiatal hernia and crunches/similar exercises don’t work for me, so I avoid a good many of the more difficult core/ab workouts.
OK, so Aniston is trying to sell me something – again. I like the workout though. it looks doable and mindful.
THIS.
I forget all of the other things that she said were life-changing. Collagen powder, Tracy Anderson, Smart Water, etc. etc. etc.
I used to think that if I didn’t go to the gym and exhaust myself to failure with every set, I wasn’t getting a good workout. I also suffered from body dysmorphia and disordered eating as I chased after an unsustainable aesthetic. Now that I approach my 40s, I’ve realized that working out should be fun and is meant to strengthen your body, not just to look hot naked (although that’s a perk). I’ll never have the energy or the strength that I did in my 20s and 30s but I can still be strong. Now I just go to the gym and do my best, and I’ve found that this mentality has made it easier to be consistent.
If people are looking for something absolutely free, the Hybrid Calisthenics site is great. Body weight exercises, with a different workout every day of the week, scaled from zero fitness to highly athletic. That and a daily walk has gently gotten me in much better shape. And the guy is a sweetie.
Thanks for this recommendation! I’m in my late 40s, jog several times a week & do core exercises, but would like to start adding weights. However, I don’t want to pay for a longterm subscription or gym membership to stay fit. It’s nice to support options that are accessible to everyone (unlike what Aniston peddles).
Love this. I have bad ankles due to surgeries so low-impact is a must. I will have to look into this!!
I actually do the Pvolve system on days when I don’t get to the gym and I LOVE it! Highly effective workout without high impact. I use it in combo with yoga and stretching at home and I’ve seen some really fantastic results, I’ve never been so sculpted
Even a vigorous workout shouldn’t cause pain if you do it with proper form (which no one tells you about so you may have to ask the class instructor or Google it up). Pain in the neck, lower back, or joints is the Check Engine light of your workout — stop and find what you’re doing wrong. Maybe the solution is as simple as keeping your front knee behind the toe during a lunge.
As usual she’s just selling a product she partnered with. I swear she shills more and acts in ads than in film and tv. She’s the Suzanne Sommers of this generation.
I recently signed up for Pvolve because of this message. It’s functional training meaning it helps strengthen your ability to do the things you want to keep doing as you age, like bending, squatting (without groaning) and reaching for things. I’ve been sore after workouts but not depleted and exhausted. It’s a very nice and reasonable system. It honestly seems like old time calisthenics!
I love Pvolve and Celestine is the best!