How Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Pro-Aging’ Mindset Has Helped Her Stay Young
Jennifer Aniston is one of those humans who, seemingly, doesn’t age. Not only does the 52-year-old actress look amazing (did you catch her on the recent Friends reunion? I mean, WOW), but according to her, her mindset on getting older is what’s really allowed her to thrive as the years have gone by.
Speaking to Vogue, Aniston recently shared that she’s officially signed on as the Chief Creative Officer of Vital Proteins, as she’s a huge fan of their collagen peptide supplements. “I don’t want to be the face of something if it’s not a part of my daily routine. That’s really important to me,” she said, explaining that she was introduced to collagen by her functional medicine doctor seven years ago. “My joints, my nails, my hair, my skin —everything just started to improve.”
Collagen isn’t the only thing that’s helped Aniston embrace aging, though. “I want to be careful about the language that I use when I talk about getting older,” she declared, perhaps taking a stance against the term “anti-aging.” According to her, a woman’s 50s shouldn’t be a time to try and turn back the clock, and she fully intends to “continue to thrive.”
Aniston attributed her positive mindset on aging to the matriarchs in her family who came before her. “My mother was always so healthy and beautifully fit when I was a kid. I’ve always had that as my foundation,” she remembered. “When I got older, I went off the rails and I would eat pizza — and Wonder Bread. That was my version of rebellion, not drugs or alcohol. I wanted to eat some yummy food that was filled with crap! And then I noticed that I just didn’t feel good. So I started to look at my mother, and my grandmother, and the elders in my life.” These women became her inspiration, showing her that she could feel her best at any age.
Aniston says that once she started to understand how food made her feel, instead of just paying attention to how she looked, she was much better able to take care of herself and embrace all the changes that have come with time. “Yes, it’s great to be fit and look great . . . but it’s about your cells, your muscles, so we can grow old and thrive,” she said.
In particular, she shared one sentiment that her mother frequently reiterated to her: “What my mom used to say to me was, ‘This is about longevity. It’s a privilege to grow old, but we don’t have to grow sick.’ It’s just sort of been a theme in my life: to enjoy the age I am and not look at aging as a negative, but as the privilege that it is.” Now that’s a perspective we could all benefit from.
Outside of adopting a pro-aging mindset, Aniston went into a few other habits that help her feel her best and stay healthy — mentally and physically. Specifically, she makes a point not to use her phone during the first hour of her day, and she’s a big proponent of intermittent fasting.
She also keeps her brain sharp by staying in-the-know when it comes to new developments in health and science. “I’m at the age where I’m more interested than ever in my health, and my life is thriving, but according to society this is when I should be going out to pasture. No, no, no. Youth is wasted on the young, I get it. But I want to keep putting information in my head that’s going to inspire me.” We think that’s absolutely genius.
So take it from someone who is — clearly — a pro at this whole aging thing. There’s no need to be pessimistic about your looks or your health as time goes along. Rather, we should all consider that perhaps we can continue to get better, healthier, and happier with time, and embrace the inevitable process of getting older.
