When Ali Larter Turned 50, She Traded This Millennial-Coded Habit For Long-Term Wellness

Millennials – the generation said to be aging faster than boomers – are cruising toward their 50s, and Gen X actor Ali Larter is showing them the benefits of embracing a different way of thinking about wellness. Larter, who turned 50 at the beginning of 2026, told People in July 2026 about the bold choice she made by ditching her previous exercise philosophy to usher in a new stage of life punctuated by a reinvented attitude of what it means to be healthy as she ages.

"It's meditation for me," she explained when describing how she now frames exercise. "It's how I work out anxiety, instead of going, 'Oh, I'm doing this to make my body look a certain way.' It's a big part of mental health." In other words, Larter's headed toward meeting her fitness goal of "rocking it" in her 80s, as she put it to Canyon Ranch earlier in 2026, but not because of her figure alone.

Larter's comment represents a notable diversion from the typical workout standard held by millennials. Although millennials at large do express a desire to discuss and improve their mental health, recent studies suggest that many millennials are working out primarily as a way to enhance themselves physically.

A 2025 EGYM report revealed that, based on the logs of the fitness app's users, millennials consistently use strength machines (via Athletech News). Additionally, a 2024 Garage Gym survey indicates not only that its millennial respondents prioritize strength training but also that 89% of them are motivated to exercise for their physical health. In contrast, Larter's outlook seems to place more emphasis on seeing exercise as a way to boost her emotional and mental health (which, incidentally, is a benefit of strength training that might surprise you).

It's worth mentioning that Larter's thoughts on exercise have seemingly evolved over time. In 2017, she talked to Delish about exercising so she could eat what she wanted and "enjoy [her] life" (via Yahoo!). At the time, her workouts reportedly revolved around yoga, bodyweight exercises, and, on busy days, cardio. Yet by 2019, she was gushing to Parade about "the mental lift that you get" from exercising, which is in line with her 2026 comments.

Hopefully, Larter's openness about her exercise views can encourage others to take exercise seriously after age 50. In a 2023 AARP survey of people aged 50 and above, 93% said that exercising regularly would help them "live a longer healthier life." However, only 34% of them indicated awareness that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting 150 minutes of exercise weekly, and only 23% actually followed the recommendation. Notably, those individuals rated their mental and emotional well-being higher than respondents who exercised less than 30 minutes weekly.