health

"It's so freakin' hard." Jennifer Aniston gets very honest about her fitness routine.

Image: Getty

Headlines about Jennifer Aniston almost invariably focus on three things: her relationship “dramas” (not to mention all those “pregnancies” she’s had over the years), her hairstyle, or her fit-looking physique.

We don’t have a lot of intel regarding the first two, but in a new Harpers Bazaar interview the actress has shed some light on exactly what she does in the gym to maintain her fitness.

Not only does Aniston keep things relatively simple, she’s also not willing to pretend it’s a fun and happy time of her day.

“[I do] a 15-minute quad thing. I do 15 on the elliptical, 15 Spinning, then I do 15 run. And then I do portions of the Body by Simone DVD for floor work,” the 47-year-old explains.

“It’s so freakin’ hard, it’s unbelievable.”

So next time you genuinely feel like you could keel over and die during the ‘hike’ section of your spin class, you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that Jennifer Aniston finds exercise tough as well. And she does this routine five times a week.

Watch: Some fun, bright activewear to help you through the pain. (Post continues after video.)

Unsurprisingly, Aniston complements her exercise routine with a nutritious diet.

Her typical lunch is salad with protein or a chicken “burger” (a questionable use of the term, as she uses lettuce as the bun) and she steers clear of sugar. That said, the Friends star does like guacamole and the odd margarita, so she knows how to enjoy herself.

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Ultimately, Aniston says she feels better in her 40s, both physically and mentally, than she did at any previous life stage. “Because, say, in your 20s, you didn’t know shit. For me, in my 30s I was just trying to figure it all out. Then when you hit 40, you’re like, ‘Oh, okay. I got this’,” she tells Harpers.

#jenniferaniston #braid #fishtail #summer-hair #unplugged @livingproofinc #lovethisgirl

A photo posted by C H R I S M C M I L L A N (@mrchrismcmillan) on Jul 31, 2014 at 11:29pm PDT

 

It’s refreshing to hear that from a woman who’s been submerged in a youth-obsessed industry for so many years. Then again, she recently received an awkward compliment about her age and appearance.

“I had somebody say to me, ‘Women these days in their 40s look pretty good!’ … And this was a much older person. I mean, who says that?” she recalls.

While Aniston is clearly diligent about her physical health and fitness, she puts a lot of stock in her wellbeing as well.

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She loves “puttering” around at home, and her ultimate tip for “staying youthful” has nothing to do with Botox or juice cleansing – it’s just having a laugh with her husband Justin Theroux. (Post continues after gallery.)

“Man, I think everyone’s so freakin’ politically correct lately. It’s becoming a real drag,” she laments.

“I like making jokes. I’m lucky because Justin is the funniest person I’ve met, and we make each other laugh. Laughter is one of the great keys to staying youthful.”

You don’t need to be a Hollywood star to achieve that.

What does your fitness routine look like?