Pilates & Collagen: Jennifer Aniston’s Secret Weapon

When did collagen become popular? Did Jennifer Aniston begin its revolution with Vital Proteins? Or is it because doctors are recommending it? No matter how collagen became popular, it may be a good thing! I always thought that collagen was the secret weapon to strengthen hair and nails. It turns out it’s much more. If you’re like me and don’t know collagen’s multifaceted purpose, I hope this blog gives you insight into collagen’s role in the body and exposes Jennifer Aniston’s anti-aging secret.

What Is Collagen?

My mom suffers from sciatic pain. (It seems like more and more people are being diagnosed with this nerve pain — maybe more on that in another blog.) She visited a chiropractor and acupuncturist. For the most part, their methods soothed the pain. However, to heal her ongoing pain even more, her chiropractor recommended a natural supplement — collagen. Scott Hepner from Vital Proteins, says collagen is an “abundant” protein found in “bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, muscles, teeth, [and] skin”. With age, it naturally decreases. Maybe this is why menopausal women (living a sedentary life — again, more on that in another blog) are prone to sciatica. As people get older, “time takes its toll on the amount of collagen in our body…which can result in fine lines and sagging skin. Incorporating ingestible collagen into your diet can help the body regenerate what’s been lost or broken down with age.” Vital Proteins expresses a mission similar to mine — rejuvenate the body and enhance the quality of life. This seems to provide hope to people, like my mom and maybe yourself, with chronic joint pain. 

Pilates & Supplementing with Collagen

I am of the philosophy that including exercises like Pilates and practicing healthy dietary choices can be life-altering. I work with clients that experience debilitating joint pain from either age or injury. Thus, it has become my mission through Pilates to enhance people’s quality of life and reduce their joint pain. Therefore, I like to provide additional avenues that clients find helpful in their Pilates practice to prevent pain. Collagen is seemingly one supportive measure to take. It is “a critical role in helping to support strength, flexibility, movement and motion”. That sounds familiar — I would say something like that about Pilates! Practicing Pilates while supplementing collagen might add to and enhance your body’s capabilities. After all, we all want to be in the best shape of our life and look like Jennifer Aniston.

We All Want to be Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston has gained the reputation of never aging (not a bad reputation to have). Her being the spokeswoman and creative executive for Vital Proteins has changed the collagen industry. Of course, we all want to be the never aging Jennifer Aniston. (I’sn’t that why we all bought Aveeno?) In addition to her collagen routine, Aniston gives Pilates her “stamp of approval”, says Zara Harawalt from Shape. Aniston reportedly tried Pilates after suffering from an injury and is addicted to what she calls “moving meditation”. Collagen or not, Miss Never Aging prioritizes her wellness. In a recent blog post of mine, I discuss anti-aging and the benefits Pilates has on your body. Simple things like good posture and breath work, all components of a proper Pilates session, will take years off and add longevity to your life. No wonder Jennifer Aniston looks so good — exercise is her best-kept secret to staying youthful. 

Furthermore, collagen or not we can all agree that taking care of our bodies is our best weapon against pain and aging. As a Pilates instructor, I am all in on the benefits of Pilates, but also recently started taking Vital Proteins collagen. I look forward to seeing the changes (I’ll keep you posted on how it goes). It’s okay to experiment with what works for your body. As I said earlier, we all want to be in the best shape of our life. Therefore, advocate for your health and wellness. Reading this article is the first step to getting your Jennifer Aniston glow. Maintaining it depends on you. I hope you walk away from this blog feeling inspired and equipped with the knowledge to better yourself and your body.

By: Annie Maxwell