I tried Jennifer Aniston’s age-defying ‘space suit’ to make you shed weight instantly – but did it work?
FROM vampire facials to baths full of milk, is there anything Hollwood A-listers won’t try in a bid to turn back the clock?
The Morning Show star Jennifer Aniston, 54, caused a stir this week with a pic of herself in what appeared to be a space suit.
Actually, it was a “lymphatic drainage device” called the Body Ballancer, designed to smooth cellulite and slim your pins.
Also known as pressotherapy, it is inflated around your legs, or upper body, to massage away any imperfections.
It has had just shy of a BILLION views on TikTok.
Writer TANITH CAREY, 56, tries pressotherapy for size, with surprising results .
I ARRIVE at the clinic eager to try pressotherapy and I can’t help but think of how excited I am to finally have a pair of legs like Friends star Jennifer.
The therapist takes me to a back room, lies me down and zips me into an enormous pair of padded trousers.
As I wait for them to be inflated by a set of cables from a white machine next to my treatment bed, I look like a blue and grey Michelin Man.
When it comes to Jennifer’s most elegant outfits, this isn’t one of them.
But given that the glam actress is happy to share a snap of her in the same model of Body Ballancer as a clue to how she keeps her timeless figure, I’m prepared to give it a go.
It is a compression therapy massage treatment said to accelerate removal of waste products and improve the appearance of cellulite and skin tone.
Although it is the first time Jen has been pictured in one, she is reported to have bought her own in 2018 to use at home in her gym to supplement her five-day-a-week fitness routine.
But then pressotherapy is the secret weapon used by many celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Chrissy Teigen to keep their limbs looking lithe and youthful,.
The sensation is undoubtedly strange. It feels like being zipped into a too-tight sleeping bag and kneaded like dough.
That’s because the trousers, which go up to my belly button, contain 24 pockets which get inflated in continuous waves from my toes to my abdomen.
This is designed to trigger the movement of lymph, the colourless liquid which moves via tiny vessels throughout the body and acts like a waste-disposal system to carry away toxins and fats, as well as damaged and dead white blood cells.
By applying pressure, the trousers are designed to get my lymph flowing again and moving towards my kidneys where any build-up will then be flushed out in my urine.
But this isn’t just the latest wellness fad. Lymphatic massage has scientific backing.
As a medical procedure, it dates back to the Fifties when doctors discovered massaging swollen lymph nodes helped patients recover more quickly from illnesses.
This is because it also carries the white blood cells we need for our immune response.
But you don’t have to be ill to get lymph built-up.
Lack of movement and exercise, poor diet and a build-up of toxins from the environment can lead to the lymph glands getting congested, resulting in water retention and swelling.
Over time, this can even change the shape of your legs and ankles, making them look less shapely.
Pharmacist Navin Khosla of Now Patient told me: “When the lymphatic system isn’t draining properly by itself, it can cause a build-up of lymph fluid in muscles and tissue, resulting in swelling in areas of the body where these are most prevalent.”
It can cause cellulite to build up too, advises Jules Willcocks, the author of Water Of Life: An Introduction To The Lymphatic System.
Julie brought the Body Ballancer to the UK.
She says: “When our lymphatic system gets blocked or overrun through lack of activity, stress, illness or toxic overload, it can lead to issues including poor skin tone, excess weight, and cellulite.
“Regular massage that targets the lymphatic system, such as manual lymphatic massages or via automatic compression therapy and pressotherapy devices, helps boost circulation and bring healthy oxygenated blood to the treated areas.
“This helps to effectively break down the build-up of cellulite, reducing volume and slimming, firming and smoothing skin.”
The machine was first developed to treat lymphoedema, a build-up of lymph in people with medical conditions caused by issues including obesity, cancer or surgery.
I feel a bit of a clown in stripy pantaloons
But it was noticed that a side- effect was getting rid of water retention and making the limbs look more toned.
Does this help explain why Jen looks as shapely and contoured as she did when she was in Friends 20 years ago?
As I am a couple of years older than Jen and don’t want my legs to turn sausage-shaped, I was willing to give it a try, which is why I was in that back room at The Private Clinic, in London’s Harley Street, which offers the Body Ballancer treatment.
After a health consultation to find out if I have had any recent surgery or am taking any medication, it’s my turn to slip into the weirdest thing I’ve ever worn, over a pair of disposable paper trousers.
At first I feel like a bit of a clown in these stripy pantaloons, until I remember that Jen, not long ago voted the most beautiful woman in the world, didn’t mind posting a picture of herself also looking faintly ridiculous.
As soon as the machine, which sounds a bit like a respirator, whirrs into action, I start to feel pressure on my feet at the bottom of the tapered boot.
Then, as the air pockets inflate and deflate in gentle waves moving up my body, it feels like I’m getting a deep massage from every angle.
Over the next 45 minutes, the pressure keeps coming and gradually getting firmer.
Though it feels a bit claustrophobic, it’s also strangely relaxing.
The interesting thing is that halfway into this light pummelling, I have a sort of “waterfall feeling”.
Whenever the pressure comes off an area, I get the sensation of a faint trickling feeling there, as if my lymph was flowing again.
As I was warned by therapist, Karina, I also notice that I start getting very thirsty, and soon want to go to the loo, hopefully a sign that any excess fluid is getting excreted via my kidneys.
Finally, I am debagged.
Now I’ve got my legs back, is there any sign that they are smoother or more sylph-like?
Certainly when I check my thighs, which are prone to cellulite, they feel smoother with fewer bumps under the surface.
And amazingly, when Karina and I measure and compare my upper thigh circumference with a tape measure before and after, it goes down on both legs from 52cm to almost 50cm — a loss of nerarly two centimetres in under an hour.
I also notice my ankles, which have got slightly thicker in my fifties, look a little more contoured too.
So is this the ultimate dream active-wear for the lazy women among us?
Well, only really as an add-on to a regular and consistent exercise routine and a healthy diet, free from high salt, processed and fatty foods.
As aesthetic surgeon Mr Michael Mouzakis, of The Private Clinic, points out: “This treatment is favoured by Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen and Lady Gaga for good reason.
“It’s a good method to proactively help keep ourselves healthy and well.
“But it has limitations and will need to be combined with a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise for maximum effect.”
Plus, as the treatment is £95 for half an hour here and it is recommended in packages of three to 12 sessions, it will certainly make your wallet lighter.
However, for most people, it’s certainly a bonus and if you think lymphatic massage would help, you always have the cheaper option of regularly using a body brush to shift your lymph that way.
For this you make circular sweeps from your feet to your groin towards your heart.
Over time, you will get a similar effect for a fraction of the price.
In the meantime, Jen’s latest outfit won’t do her any favours on the red carpet.
But it seems to me that her bizarre pantaloons are certainly helping her look her best when she wears the rest of her stunning wardrobe.