Jennifer Aniston’s solution to look and feel 15 years younger

Relax your way to ageless? Yes! Jennifer Aniston on the spa practice that keeps her youthful — no matter how hectic life gets

At 48, Jennifer Aniston is feeling more confident, radiant and poised than ever. “For me, in my 30s, I was just trying to figure it all out,” the former Friends star has admitted. “I feel better in my 40s.

Not only do you feel better in your body physically, but you’re mentally better…I feel a sense of freedom that I hadn’t necessarily felt before.”

Jen credits this new self-assurance (not to mention her flawless skin) with focusing on taking better care of herself as she’s gotten older—and for Jen, that’s meant adopting wellness strategies beyond the standard recommendations of hydration and plenty of rest. One key: regular infrared sauna sessions. “I really love an infrared sauna; it just allows for such beautiful, glowing skin and detoxification. It even helps with weight loss and relaxation,” the star has shared. She enjoys the treatment so much that she had a sauna installed in her home. “I usually do it after I work out, which is five to six times a week. I’ll bring a script in so I’m also getting work done.”

The busy actress isn’t alone in her love for infrared saunas. Doctors like Harvard-educated physician Sara Gottfried, M.D., and health experts like FIRST wellness columnist Jorge Cruise are on board too. “For overall mental and physical health, an infrared sauna can’t be beat,” says Cruise. “I actually have one in my house and I use it every day. Not only does it make the skin look radiant, it’s also a great way to de-stress, which is so important for well-being.”

Turn back the clock on YOUR metabolism!

Just what makes infrared saunas so effective? Unlike a traditional steam-heated sauna, which warms the surface of the skin with sweltering 220°F temperatures, an infrared sauna uses pulses of light to heat the body much more deeply—and at much cooler temperatures (typically around 150°F). “The heat from an infrared sauna penetrates the skin, causing cellular water molecules to vibrate and raise the core body temperature,” explains Dr. Gottfried, author of Younger. This forces the body to work to keep itself cool—an effort that can torch as many as 600 calories in just 30 minutes.

Revving metabolism is just one way infrared saunas slim. The targeted heat also stimulates the circulation and triggers sweating, which helps the body purge toxins and excess water weight through the pores. This detoxifying effect frees up the liver to fire up fat burn—and keep the calorie furnace burning, even after the sweat session has ended. The payoff, according to a Japanese study: Spending 15 minutes in a sauna daily helped overweight adults lose 11 percent of their body fat in just 10 weeks.

Relaxing in the heated chamber also recharges cells at the genetic level, switching on genes that make the body act as if it’s years younger. “How fast or slow you age is the product of how well the body is able to sweep up the damage of daily living,” says Dr. Gottfried, who has an infrared sauna in her home. “Sitting in a sauna for just 20 minutes activates the genes that prevent and reverse that damage by boosting stress resilience, antioxidant production and DNA repair.” As a result, the skin looks brighter and tighter, under-eye circles and wrinkles diminish and energy levels soar.

The benefits go beyond weight loss and a more youthful appearance. A relaxing sweat session has also been shown to dilate the blood vessels to provide a gentle workout for the cardiovascular system. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, spending just 15 minutes daily in a sauna for 14 days improved heart health by 40 percent. And Finnish research found that spending time in a sauna four times a week reduced the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 50 percent. Another plus: The combination of intense warmth and increased blood flow has also been shown to soothe and relax muscles to ease tension and keep the joints limber.

To get the maximum perks, Dr. Gottfried recommends aiming for four 20-minute infrared sauna sessions each week, but she notes that even one or two weekly sessions can go a long way toward revitalizing health and whittling the waistline. In-home saunas, like the Sunlighten model that Jorge Cruise has installed, start at around $1,000, and fans rave that they take up about as much space as a standing shower and are surprisingly easy to install. But for a less pricey way to follow Jen’s lead, Dr. Gottfried suggests finding a specialty clinic, gym or day spa that offers infrared sessions, which start as low as $20 for 20 minutes. Can’t get to an infrared sauna? Recent research at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom suggests that taking a very hot daily bath may offer benefits similar to the spa practice.

“I really love an infrared sauna; it just allows for such beautiful, glowing skin

and detoxification.”

—Jennifer Aniston