Pvolve: Jennifer Aniston’s workout platform is now proven to improve midlife women’s strength. We tried it out
Apparently the actor’s fitness programme is more beneficial than NHS exercise guidelines for menopausal women. Kerry Potter gives Pvolve a whirl
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Just how fabulous Jennifer Aniston looks has been a constant source of public fascination for three decades. So when it was recently announced that Pvolve – the low-impact, Pilates-adjacent fitness programme in which the 55-year-old is an investor – has been proven to improve the strength and balance of midlife women, it made global headlines.
Aniston got into Pvolve, which launched in 2017, during the pandemic. Recovering from a back injury, she started streaming classes, warming to its low impact movements that use resistance bands, as an alternative to her usual high-octane workouts.
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In 2023, she invested in the company (adding to her wellbeing portfolio which includes the collagen supplements brand Vital Proteins) and now fronts its marketing campaigns. “I’m in better shape than I was in my twenties, I feel better in mind, body and spirit,” she says. Her ‘no pain, no gain’ exercise era is over now she’s in her fifties: “We have to be kinder to our bodies”.
And a new study, conducted by the University of Exeter and published in the US journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, shows that Pvolve is also better for our bodies than the 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week recommended by NHS guidelines. Seventy British women, aged between 40 and 60 and not on HRT, were split into two groups. One group spent 12 weeks doing 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, the second group did the Pvolve programme. The Pvolve followers saw a 19 percent increase in hip function and lower body strength, and a 21 percent increase in lower body flexibility, compared to the normal exercisers. The Pvolve group also saw an increase in muscle mass and improved balance.
Interestingly, the women who saw improvements were right across the pre, peri and post menopause spectrum. “This is the first study to demonstrate that the decline in sex hormones, and increase in age, across the menopause transition does not affect the ability of lower limb strength and balance to adapt to a low-impact resistance exercise training program in females not taking HRT,” said the researchers.
So basically, Pvolve is a great option for (peri)menopausal women. It is, however, worth noting that the sample size – 70 people – is small and the study was funded by Pvolve.
As someone prone to over-exercising to the point of idiocy (eg running a half marathon in a snowstorm with laryngitis) and increasingly plagued with injury and achy joints in my forties, I’m intrigued by this sensible, gentler approach to working out. Call me delusional but I couldn’t help but wonder: would doing Pvolve make me look like Jen? Let’s see.
What is Pvolve?
Kerry gives Pvolve a whirl at home
Pvolve is a functional fitness programme that uses resistance equipment, such as bands, to sculpt and tone in a low impact way. Functional fitness is a buzz phrase that refers to exercises such as squats and lunges that mimic everyday movement, rather than, say, doing handstands.
There are 1400 online classes on-demand and live streamed classes every day, although the latter are aimed at a US audience so the time difference means there’s nothing before 11.30am UK time. So you’re better off browsing the on-demand library.
Your muscles burn during a class but you don’t sweat, and there are lots of delicious stretches in the mix. Yoga and Pilates fans should definitely take a look.
How much does Pvolve cost?
Most classes require some Pvolve-branded equipment. I was given the Pvolve Signature Fitness Bundle, £249.49, which comprises three things:
- A square mat with numbered squares so you can easily work out where to place your feet
- Strap-on gloves with a resistance band running between them
- A small resistance ball with looped straps (you can do things like put your legs through the loops and squeeze it between your thighs).
This bundle also gives one month’s access to all the classes, which then costs £14.99 per month thereafter.
You can buy more bits of equipment separately or if you’re super keen and/or rich, you can get the full kaboodle – the Total Transformation Bundle, £790.49, with 13 pieces of equipment, including hand and ankle weights, plus six months’ access to the classes.
Until recently, customers had to buy Pvolve kit from the US and thus cough up for import taxes. But now it’s available in the UK, exclusively on Healf, the online wellbeing retailer.
What Pvolve is like?
In short, great. And I say that as someone who gets sent a lot of fitness equipment to test out, most of which sits in the corner of my office gathering dust. The attention to detail when it comes to the user experience is impeccable. You can filter classes to allow for your experience level, the time you have (five minutes to 60 minutes plus), the equipment you have, for where you are in your cycle (gentler classes for your luteal phase when you may feel more tired, for example), and so on.
Also there are separate volume controls for the instructors’ voices and the background music (clever!) and I liked the low key, relaxed vibe of the teachers – they were a bit less, um, American, and excitable than on some fitness platforms I’ve tried.
The square mat reminded me of chic, monochrome version of Twister – maybe Jen is a fan of the classic ’80s party game? There’s less contortion going on here though, the moves are all fairly straightforward. And the equipment is easy to get to grips with (literally). It all feels very intuitive.
Does Pvolve really work?
Yes, I now can’t walk down the street without being mistaken for the Friends star… Not really but after a couple of weeks of doing early morning classes (in my PJs), my upper arms are more toned. Even though the movements are simple, the added resistance element – from the equipment but also the inclusion of body weight resistance exercises like push-ups – means you really feel the burn a few reps in. You can definitely build strength and muscle here.
Pvolve – my verdict
I can totally see Pvolve’s appeal for midlife women. It is low impact but yields results. If you’re finding your hardcore running, spinning or HIIT regime isn’t working for you and your body as you get older, this is worth a look. It’s convenient, doesn’t need much space and is ideal for the dark, cold winter months when outdoor exercise has less appeal. Once you’ve forked out for the kit, it’s decent value, especially if you use it in place of a gym membership.
