{"id":620521,"date":"2026-09-10T16:06:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620521\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T16:06:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:06:35","slug":"at-54-jennifer-garner-swears-by-dance-cardio-and-gyrotonic-training-to-stay-fit-your-brain-needs-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620521\/","title":{"rendered":"At 54, Jennifer Garner swears by dance cardio and Gyrotonic training to stay fit: \u2018Your brain needs it\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 54, Jennifer Garner continues to make fitness a priority. <\/p>\n

\u2018I work out in the morning pretty much every day,\u2019 Jennifer Garner \u2013 who starred in the recent drama adaption of The Five-Star Weekend \u2013 told Drew Barrymore<\/a> on her talk show when asked about what she does to prioritise her wellbeing.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019ve got to do hard cardio,\u2019 she added of her go-to morning workout. \u2018We need it in our bodies \u2013 and your brain needs it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Indeed, in a recent interview<\/a> with Marie Claire, Jennifer revealed that she had already completed a dance-cardio workout \u2013 The Limit with Beth Nicely<\/a> \u2013 before 9am. <\/p>\n

‘You’ve got to find something that makes you feel joyful when you’re doing it, or it won’t work,’ Garner told Barrymore.<\/p>\n

Why high-intensity cardio is so important in midlife<\/p>\n

While continuing to do both strength training<\/a> and cardio is vital for improving your healthspan (the number of years lived in good health) as you age, that doesn\u2019t mean you should train exactly the same way you did 20 years prior. For longevity<\/a>, adaptation is key.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you want to do two F45 classes back to back, go for it,\u2019 exercise physiologist Dr Stacy Sims noted on an episode of personal trainer Doug Bopst\u2019s podcast, The Adversity Advantage. \u2018But when you start getting older, you need to be very acutely aware of how to polarise.\u2019<\/p>\n

In other words, doing less cardio, but at a higher intensity, becomes increasingly valuable. \u2018The bread and butter of what you should be doing as you get older is quality training, not volume,\u2019 she added, noting that women over 40 should aim to incorporate \u2018true high-intensity work\u2019.<\/p>\n

As well as benefitting heart health (and indeed, brain health<\/a>, as Jennifer highlighted), Dr Sims explained on the podcast that these high-intensity workouts help \u2018force the necessary adaptations\u2019, including \u2018better blood glucose control’ and ‘better conversation between the skeletal muscle and the liver so that we don\u2019t store visceral fat,’ as well as better bone and muscle quality \u2013 all of the things that \u2018are so key in being able to live independently as we get older.\u2019 <\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean your workouts should be exclusively high-intensity \u2013 just that they are an important piece of the midlife fitness puzzle. <\/p>\n

In fact, in her Marie Claire interview, Jennifer said that six months prior, her own fitness routine had looked different \u2013 explaining that she had made some adaptations.<\/p>\n

\u2018I realised that I had pursued strength and stamina at the expense of mobility<\/a>, so I\u2019m incorporating things I haven\u2019t done in so long, like yoga<\/a>. I have to back up to go forward.\u2019<\/p>\n

Jennifer also revealed her love for another form of movement \u2013 Gyrotonics \u2013 which she often ends her days with.<\/p>\n

Why the Gyrotonic training method is so effective <\/p>\n

While \u2018Pilates and reformer Pilates tend to focus on more linear, two-dimensional movement patterns, in [a Gyrotonic class], the movements are three-dimensional, allowing for circular and spiral movements, unlocking and targeting all the joints of the body in all planes of direction,\u2019 certified Gyrotonic trainer Anna Ciriano<\/a> previously told<\/a> Women\u2019s Health, noting that the method supports mobility and joint health, pelvic floor activation, and the nervous system. <\/p>\n

At the end of the day, though, as Jennifer said herself on The Drew Barrymore Show, when it comes to fitness, you\u2019ve got to \u2018find something that actually makes you feel joyful while you\u2019re doing it or it won\u2019t work.\u2019 <\/p>\n

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women\u2019s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo<\/a> exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan \u2013 created exclusively for Women\u2019s Health COLLECTIVE members \u2013 you\u2019ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.<\/p>\n

Get the plan<\/a>
<\/p>\n

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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n