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When Jennifer Aniston hops onto a Zoom with me, her charisma and energy is just as apparent in conversation as it is on the screen. How the actress and, TBH, literal icon, manages to exude that signature verve might come down, at least in part, to her exercise habits. Aniston says working out everyday first thing in the morning is a “day changer” for her, because it gets her body and brain fired up for a successful day.
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Pvolve head trainer and director of training
That means that having a practice that gives her an intense workout session, without putting her out of commission with an injury, is huge. Over the last two years, she’s found the sweet spot with the low-impact workout method Pvolve, for which she’s been the brand ambassador for the last year as it’s helped her build strength—in her 50s—like no workout ever has before.
“This is the longest I’ve been injury free, which is a big one for me,” Aniston says. “It has strengthened my body from the inside out.”
“This is the longest I’ve been injury free, which is a big one for me.”—Jennifer Aniston
What strength “from the inside out” means to Aniston is not just focusing on superficial muscles like the six pack, but instead working more internal layers of muscles, like the deep core.
“It’s like the deep muscles that you didn’t even know were there,” Aniston says. The purpose of working the deep muscles of your core “really is so that you can function throughout your day, [and address] basic needs [by] strengthening all of these different layers of muscles that we are not used to using.”
Am I really talking about the deep core with Jennifer Aniston? I sure am, because she is just so stoked about how she feels from her workout routine these days.
“I just continually am in love with it,” Aniston says. “I don’t feel like I have any limitations.”
What is the deep core?
The deep core is a group of muscles in your trunk that help keep your body stable and upright.
“Your deep core muscles include your transverse abdominals, pelvic floor, multifidus, and diaphragm,” Pvolve head trainer and director of training, Dani Coleman, who trains Aniston, says. “When our deep core muscles contract, they create a corset feeling in the body: intra-abdominal pressure, which helps stabilize your spine and protect your body.”
That feeling of stability resonates with Aniston in terms of why Pvolve keeps working for her.
“Our muscles keep our bones strong, and it’s just one of the most important things, especially as you get through your midlife and menopause and when all those wonderful things start to kick in, it’s major,” Aniston says. “My body is just strong, top to bottom, and I am able to move.”
How to work the deep core like Jennifer Aniston
So how are Coleman and Pvolve helping Aniston access and work that deep core—and how can you bottle some of that secret stabilizing sauce, too? It’s not as simple as doing a crunch or a bicep curl. You have to get in touch with the inner workings of your body.
“Start with connecting to your breath properly,” Coleman says. “Sit upright with good posture. Think about inhaling and allowing your front, side, and back body to expand. You want your breath to be out of your chest and to allow your stomach, ribs, and back to expand.”
Once you’ve identified that trans-abdominal breathing, put that breath to work in exercises that target those stabilizer muscles, using equipment that helps you access the deep core, like gliders.
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Keep in mind that your deep core is part of a larger system that supports that strong, stable trunk. “Your deep core muscles are important, but you also need to train your other core muscles in tandem,” Coleman says. “We want a strong 360 core and you should make sure to nurture every part.”
Aniston has some favorite moves, and by that, she means the ones that hurt so good.
“Mountain climbers on those silent but deadly gliders really work your whole body,” Aniston says. “I have a deep love-hate relationship with them. And the slant board, by the way. There’s another love-hate relationship.”
Coleman agrees that gliders can be particularly good (read: painful) at working your core in all dimensions.
“Gliders help create instability in your body, which makes your core muscles work harder to stabilize you,” Coleman says. “These can be a challenging piece of equipment; start slowly and add them in as your strength progresses.”
Need some inspiration to delve deep into core work? Just imagine Jennifer Aniston breathing and building those hidden layers of muscles right alongside you. You can even follow her workout schedule or participate in the Pvolve spring challenge for a chance to win a private workout with Coleman. Just remember to connect to those intra-abdominals… and breathe.
Jennifer Aniston and Dani Coleman’s favorite moves for getting a strong core from the inside out
1. Mountain climbers with gliders
- 1.Come into a plank position with your feet on the gliders.
- 2.Keeping your feet on the glider, bend your right knee as you bring it up to your chest so that your foot on the glider travels up to your mid section.
- 3.As you send your right foot back, bend your left knee and glide your left foot forward as you bring it up to your chest.
- 4.Continue alternating.
2. Bird dogs
- 1.Get on all fours on a mat in a tabletop position. Knees should be bent at 90 degrees and stacked below your hips.
- 2.Extend your left leg out and up, lifting it to hip height, as you extend your right arm forward.
- 3.Come back to the starting position and switch sides.
- 4.Continue alternating.
3. Plank with mini push-ups
- 1.Come into a plank position with the inside of your elbows facing forward.
- 2.Bend your elbows and slowly lower your body down a few inches.
- 3.Push back up, slowly and with control.
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