Close
Photo: Getty Images
Jennifer Aniston is a remarkably loyalFriend. She’s hopelessly devoted to hercollagen peptidesand proudly starts each morning with a glass of hot lemon water. (See the complete dish aboutwhat Jennifer Aniston eats in a day here.)
She’s also a creature of habit when it comes to the core components of her fitness routine. In addition to her yoga practice …
What Is Jennifer Aniston’s “15-15-15” Workout Plan?
No matter how she moves her body, though, Aniston says it’s a must on the daily: “I need some kind of movement, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day on a trampoline,” she adds toInStyle.
This plan, among her favorites, involves “a 15-minute spin, elliptical, run.” And after that, it’s “just old school: I can chase myself around a gym,” Aniston continues.
Three sets of 15-minute shifts on different cardio machines seem surprisingly doable, even for those of us (✋) who aren’t quite as regimented as Aniston. Cranking this out daily, or even four days per week, would meet theWorld Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines, which suggest at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. (They also recommend two days of full-body strength training—read on for more on that topic.)
So Is This 3-Times-15 Plan a Wise One?
“I love the 15-15-15 method on your cardio day,” says Lauren Reid, a certified personal trainer in Orange County, California, and aStrideXpro forXponential. “This is a great way to minimize impact, challenge different muscle groups and keep your workout fresh so that you’re not burning out on 45 minutes of straight cardio using one modality,” such as just the treadmill or rowing machine.
Yes, You Can Exercise When You Have Literally No Time—Here’s How to Hack Your Fitness Routine
The cross-training style is also a bright idea if you’re aiming to reduce the risk of injury. By mixing things up, you’ll not only challenge a wide variety of muscle groups, but you’ll also potentially curb overuse issues that can arise if you’re, say, pounding away on the treadmill or road for 45 minutes day after day.
It can also be beneficial mentally if youfind it challenging to feel motivated to exercise. Breaking up the cardio into three 15-minute “nuggets” likely feels much more achievable than completing the same challenge for 45 minutes without stopping.
As much as trainers dig the 15-15-15, it does leave some things to be desired.
What’s Missing from the “15-15-15” Workout
Aniston nods to the idea of lifting weights with that “chase around the gym” comment, and fitness experts agree that’s a wise—and necessary—addition. (ICYMI, weight training might be even more important than aerobic activities for yourheart health,cancer riskand any possibleweight-loss pursuits.) So mixing in workouts like these 10confidence-building movescan be a boon for your posture, your strength and your longevity.
We tapped Reid to design her ideal weekly gym or at-home workout program that utilizes Aniston’s BFF body challenger:
The 6 Best at-Home Exercises, According to a Personal Trainer
No elliptical, spin bike or treadmill? No problem; this same philosophy can be customized with other aerobic options like jumping rope, biking or running outside, alternating minutes of jumping jacks, push-ups and squats (5 rounds of 1 minute each) or any other cardio pursuit you enjoy.
Keeping an open, flexible mind is also crucial if you’re just dipping your toe into working out. A full 45 going all-out is also alotfor a beginner.
“You can follow this same pattern with any aerobic activity, and you’ll be toast (in the best way!),” Reid advises.
The Bottom Line
Similar to those retro commercials that tout cereal as being “part of a complete breakfast,” Jennifer Aniston’s 15-15-15 workout can be part of a complete workout routine. If you’re exercising for optimal health, strength, flexibility, longevity and injury prevention, though, it’s also important to mix in flexibility and resistance training—and rest.
The mix-and-match program Reid designed (above) “provides a combination of efficient cardio and strength training that is hard to beat when you’re looking to build a strong yet lean physique. The most important thing is to not get complacent with easy, boring cardio,” Reid says. “You need to mix up paces and modalities in order to efficientlyburn calories and torch fat. There’s little worse than doing cardio and not getting the results you’re after!”
Up Next:9 Surprising Activities That Burn as Many Calories as a 30-Minute Walk
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
