Jane Fonda Says Her Fitness Routine Is 'Everything I Used to Do, Just Slower' at Age 87 (Exclusive)

Jane Fonda's fitness routine has remained the same over the years — just at a different pace over time.

"I essentially do everything I used to do, just slower," the actress, 87, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

"I used to be a runner, but now I love walking. I love being outdoors in the woods, especially up and down hills," she continues.

For Fonda, mixing up how she stays in tip-top shape is important, so she doesn't get used to the same routine.

"I work out every day, so it is important to mix up the way I move. I alternate days doing upper body and lower body work for strength. I also find some way to get cardio in. Walking outside is one of my favorite ways to do so," she says.

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Fonda has been a longtime fitness lover, dating back to the early 1980s, when she released her first exercise video, Jane Fonda's Workout, which was inspired by her best-selling book, Jane Fonda's Workout Book.

Looking back at the influence of her popular tapes, which spawned more exercise videos in the years to follow, Fonda tells PEOPLE, "I had no idea my videos were going to become such a phenomenon."

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"When I was starting out, there weren’t many rigorous forms of exercise available to women," she continues. "I learned the basic workout from a charismatic teacher named Leni Kasden in the '70s."

"After the videos came out, I'd get amazing letters from around the world. One was from a young woman in the Peace Corps in Guatemala who did the exercises in her mud hut," adds Fonda. "Another woman said she looked in the mirror as she was brushing her teeth and noticed new muscles in her arms. She wrote that it made her feel empowered, and that day she went to work and stood up to her handsy boss for the first time."

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Currently, Fonda is working with Supernatural, a virtual reality (VR) fitness and wellness platform available only on Meta Quest, for a four-part content series.

Each VR fitness class — Flow with Jane Fonda, Box with Jane Fonda & Ludacris, Jane Fonda: Stretching and Jane Fonda: Team Workout — is coached by Fonda herself and features a mix of Supernatural's signature Boxing and Flow experiences.

"Going from VHS to VR, I was surprised by how easy Supernatural was to pick up," Fonda tells PEOPLE. "We really bridged the past and future of fitness with this series. Aside from the technology, it felt as if no time had passed."

One part of the content series that Fonda says she loves especially is the use of music. "Having the right music can make or break the workout, especially in cardio and aerobics," she explains. "An upbeat playlist is essential. That, and a good attitude."

"Fitness is such a big part of my life, so to get to do it with today’s technology is a full-circle moment," adds the activist.

This article was written independently by PEOPLE’s editorial team and meets our editorial standards. Meta is a paid advertising partner with PEOPLE.

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