Women's Health October 16, 2025 0 Comments

The Secret Exercise Allison Janney Swears By at 65 That Keeps Her Strong, Agile, and Pain-Free — Do It 4 Times a Week and Unlock Your Body’s True Potential!

So, we still don’t have a woman sitting behind the oval desk in the White House—yet. But guess what? Allison Janney is stepping right into those presidential shoes, or should I say, the Commander in Chief’s seat, on Netflix’s The Diplomat when it drops its third season on October 16. Talk about fictional power moves! Now, while Allison’s not juggling international crises for real, she’s got her own battle with busy schedules and self-care—which sometimes takes a hit when the cameras roll. Ever wonder what a perfect day of self-care looks like from someone who’s about to run the whole country (at least on screen)? Picture this: a bath, a hike, Pilates, a facial, a massage, and then straight to bed. A dream? Heck yes. But hey, for the 65-year-old star, it’s the ideal recharge plan. And here’s a kicker—Pilates isn’t just a hobby; it’s her go-to workout four times a week! For a six-foot-tall powerhouse, that strength and stretching stuff is no joke—especially when those bones need some extra love with age. Oh, and she’s even eyeing jazz dance for that exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise. So, ready to see how the fictional presidente-donning actress keeps her wellness game strong? You’re about to get the inside scoop. LEARN MORE

We may not have a woman in the White House just yet, but actor Allison Janney is set to join the long list of fictional female presidents when her Netflix series The Diplomat returns for a third season on October 16. (Season 2 ended with President William Rayburn, played by Michael McKean, dying—thrusting Allison’s VP character Grace Penn into the role of Commander in Chief.)

While an actor’s schedule may not be quite as jam-packed as the president’s, Allison admits that her self-care routine can sometimes take a back seat when she’s busy on the set of a movie or TV show. But, if she could set aside a day to focus just on herself, she knows exactly what that day would look like.

“My perfect self-care day would be bath, hike, Pilates, facial, massage, bed,” the 65-year-old tells Women’s Health in the latest edition of the video series Well Said. “That would be extremely ideal.”

Pilates, as it turns out, is Allison’s main form of exercise. When she’s not filming, she tries to get in four sessions a week. “Pilates is so great,” she says. “I’m six feet tall, and the stretching and the strengthening is so important for me. Especially as I get older, the bones need a lot of weight lifting, and Pilates is a lot of resistance training, and it’s one of my favorite ways to exercise.”

With her Pilates routine locked down, Allison’s started to get curious about other forms of exercise, specifically, one a friend of hers does: jazz dancing. “I’ve been afraid to go, but I kind of want to go, because it seems like it’d be such fun,” she says of learning choreography. “I love anything that’s exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise, and dancing is definitely one of them. I love to dance. I just haven’t gotten the nerve to go to this class yet.” Allison, get your groove on, girl!

For more on the actor’s health and wellness habits—including the craziest fad she’s ever tried—watch Well Said above.

Director / Executive Producer Dorenna Newton
Editor James Chupka
AP Janie Booth

Amy Wilkinson is a contributing entertainment editor at Women’s Health, where she edits the magazine’s celebrity cover stories and writes health features. She has previously held editor titles at Entertainment Weekly and MTV News. In 2021, Amy completed her 600-hour teacher-training at Core Pilates NYC to become a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor.