I write a lot about health for work, and if there’s one thing the stories I cover have taught me, it’s the importance of exercise.
Maintaining muscle mass can make ageing far easier, and may even help to prevent dementia. Good cardiovascular health may keep some heart conditions at bay, too.
I mostly work out for health, rather than aesthetic, reasons (as anyone who’s seen my tatty T-shirt and second-hand leggings gym get-up will probably guess).
But let’s be real here: when Jennifer Aniston shares her workout routine, a bit of you wants to give it a go, right?
What’s Jennifer Aniston’s “15-15-15” workout routine?
Speaking to InStyle, the Friends actor explained: “I had an injury last fall and I was only able to do pilates which I absolutely love.”
“But I was missing that kind of sweat when you just go for it.”
So, she came up with the “old-school” 15-15-15 method, which involves 15 minutes on a bike, 15 minutes on an elliptical, and 15 minutes on a treadmill.
Here’s how I found it...
I only recently took my first spin class, which (no joke) inspired me to ask experts: “how sore is too sore during a workout?”
So, though I usually start my indoor workouts with a 15-minute burst of cardio, I knew I’d find this set-up tricky.
Another complicating factor is that Jennifer didn’t specify what level she was working at. I placed my phone on my handlebars for the first workout and played a 15-minute intense spin video.
I know she wants to sweat, but I hope this is not what Jen does. I was ready to leave the gym afterwards.
Still; we must steel ourselves for the elliptical, which I quite like.
The lack of resistance on my knees was helpful; I set it to level 10, which is medium-hard for the time period.
Studies also suggest that cardio really does get easier after the first ten minutes, which might explain why I found this patch a little easier (though according to the machine’s dashboard, it actually got my heart rate up higher).
I was sweaty, but surviving.
The last session was on the treadmill, which I was alright with ― the pattern, for me, went hardest-easiest-second hardest.
That’s enough to keep me motivated without giving up on the workout entirely.
I jogged along with no incline at a steady 10km/hr. As much as I usually hate indoor running ― the minutes seem to go by so slowly! ― this flew by.
Maybe it was the heavy load beforehand, or the fact that I’d just gotten into the groove, or the sweat acceptance. But I reckon that if you can get past the first half of this workout, the second will fly by.
So... what’s the verdict?
I’ll be honest; I probably won’t do this routine again, because if I want 45 minutes of pure cardio, I’ll probably just go for an outdoor run.
If you hate jogging outdoors or get bored by the treadmill, though, this has a lot to recommend it as a cardio-only workout.
First of all, you can set the level to whatever you like. That makes it pretty inclusive.
Secondly, the fact that the exercise changes after 15 minutes really does make the time seem shorter. If you’re constantly checking the clock on your machine’s dashboard, give this a try.
Thirdly, I reckon I would have loved this as a beginner to the gym! It can be so hard to orient yourself in a new space ― this will help you to get to grips with the layout of your gym, allow you to look at the machines and weights around you as you work out, and give you something to do that doesn’t need much instruction.
Lastly (though far from least) yes, it definitely, definitely makes you sweaty. And even though perspiration doesn’t always equal exertion, I see Jennifer’s point ― sometimes, it’s just satisfying to put your headband to work.