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As a kid, Jennifer Aniston used to fall asleep with the TV on. Unfortunately, getting lulled to sleep with a comforting sitcom—like, say, Friends—can impact sleep quality. However, the iconic actress and ambassador for Pvolve, a workout method with both studios and a digital platform, is determined to work on her sleep hygiene lately. Specifically, she’s trying to cut down on screen time before bed. Her recipe for success? Not biting off more than she can chew. Jennifer Aniston’s goal-setting mindset is, frankly, goals.
How ‘night owl’ Aniston is working on her ZZZs
Aniston doesn’t actually believe in New Year’s resolutions. She sets general goals but thinks resolutions set people (herself included) up for failure. So, to improve her sleep hygiene, she’s approaching the goal with a series of small steps and an attitude of experimentation.
Aniston is a self-described night owl. “I can literally burn the midnight oil,” she tells Well+Good. Her first step is getting in bed earlier (by 10:00 p.m)—but only on weeknights. She’s also listening to meditations and podcasts, though they sometimes keep her awake.
“I’m just trying to find different avenues,” Aniston says. “My brain takes a while to wind down.”
Aniston’s strength training secret sauce
Aniston brings the same attitude to the gym and to Pvolve, the low-impact strength training method she’s been practicing since 2023. Despite liking to stay up late, she rarely misses a morning workout, save for being sick. “Not much stops me,” Aniston says. But that might be because she approaches workouts with that same attainable mindset. If she’s tired or just not in the mood, she puts on workout gear and tells herself to “just go sit on the floor.” There, she’ll do stretches, yoga, or some other gentle movement.
Listening to her body has guided her strength training journey with Pvolve. She had a shoulder injury last year, so she focused on lighter weights. But recently, her Pvolve trainer pointed out something Aniston hadn’t realized: she had worked her way up from being unable to lift ten pounds with the injured arm to doing bicep curls with two ten-pound weights in each hand.
“The progression is what I love,” Aniston says. “You’re easing your body into it, taking baby steps, and then next thing you know, you’re stronger.”
Today, compassion and patience light the way for Aniston in sleep hygiene, strength training, and life. “We beat ourselves up enough for crying out loud,” Aniston says.
The actress found a workout that meets her mindset—and needs. Previously, Aniston spoke about how she appreciates Pvolve’s low-impact movements to target the smaller (and frequently underused) muscles to improve strength, stability, and balance. It’s the type of functional fitness she feels works best for her, especially at this time in her life. “Balance is one thing we need, especially when we’re older,” she said. “Our core is extremely important; our bones get brittle, so we have to keep our bone health strong.”
Aniston was introduced to the workout method in 2021 and, since then, has seen major changes in her body. “I have incredible results, if not better than anything I’ve ever done before without the aches and injuries. I’ve had knee injuries, and going up and down stairs has always been tricky for me, and I’ve noticed definition in parts of my body that I hadn’t really ever seen before, especially in my abs and legs,” she told Well+Good last year.
Aniston is dedicated to her fitness but also understands the importance of being gentle (and realistic!) with one’s body. That’s definitely the energy we can all bring into the new year, resolution or not.
You can join Aniston on a four-week Pvolve strength training program that runs from January 6 to February 17. Maybe you’ll see those baby steps add up for yourself.