• Jennifer Aniston revealed the ageist compliment that drives her “bananas.”
  • The actress explained why she feels better now than in her 20s.
  • “It’s all 100% better.”

Jennifer Aniston is keen on prioritizing her health and feeling her best as she ages. The Friends star has been open about her fresh perspectives on aging and has seemingly embraced her stunning gray hair as of late. But just because she’s secure in growing older doesn’t mean certain comments don’t bother her. Now, the star is opening up about the ageist compliment that she “can’t stand.”

“You look great for your age” is a common praise that women hear as they grow older. In a recent Vogue interview, Aniston said this backhanded compliment drives her “bananas,” she said, “I can’t stand it.”

She goes on to say: “That’s a habit of society that we have these markers like, ‘Well, you’re at that stage, so for your age… I don’t even understand what it means.” The star says that contrary to what people might think, she’s feeling her best yet in her 50s. “I’m in better shape than I was in my 20s. I feel better in mind, body, and spirit. It’s all 100% better.”

Aniston plans to make these “better” years last as long as possible, and you can bet she has longevity at the forefront of her mind. “My family lives a long time, especially my dad’s side—I want to be thriving; I don’t want to just be alive,” the star told Vogue. (Aniston’s father, John Aniston, passed away last November.)

The Murder Mystery 2 star said in a recent interview with USA Today that she’s always interested in the newest technology and wondering how she can improve her health in any way she can. “We’re all going to get older. We’re all headed to that exact same spot. But we can take care of our skin. We can have a healthy diet. We can drink lots of water.”

Fans continue to point out that they see the same energy from the actress as she displayed on Friends—which first aired nearly 30 years ago. “Listen—lovely compliment. But that’s a TV set they’re looking at,” Aniston told USA Today. “If I tried to look the way I looked at 20, I would not really actually want to do that. It’s absolutely impossible.”

As part of this mission to thrive, Aniston partnered with Pvolve to amp up her workout routine with low-impact, but powerful, exercises. She says that any amount of movement each day should come with its own sense of accomplishment. “I think it’s just taking the pressure off of ourselves and really knowing that whatever you did that day is enough, and don’t be your own worst critic.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

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Madeleine Haase

Madeleine, Prevention’s assistant editor, has a history with health writing from her experience as an editorial assistant at WebMD, and from her personal research at university. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience—and she helps strategize for success across Prevention’s social media platforms.