Throughout her entire career, Jane Fonda has achieved what many could only dream of – remaining a top figure within pop culture and the entertainment industry. From her memorable acting performances that span across several decades to her ongoing activism and philanthropic commitments, Fonda, 87, has built a rather incomparable and trailblazing path for herself.

Being someone who has been front-and-center within the public eye since she was a young girl, being the daughter of fellow Hollywood heavyweight Henry Fonda, when I sat down with the two-time Oscar winner for an interview this month, I asked her – Who is Jane Fonda in 2025? What brings you the most purpose and passion to your days lately?

Fonda said, “Knowing that what I am doing to protect democracy and the planet is strategic, and that I’m doing it with a very smart group of people and that we know what we’re doing. It’s making a difference and it will continue to make a difference, and that brings me tremendous pleasure. I work out every day – and so, I have a good attitude and I stay positive.”

She remains, undoubtedly, one of the most familiar faces within the fitness space, known for leading video workouts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Now, Fonda is back to encourage modern audiences to “Go for the burn” yet again – but this time, we can tune in beyond VHS tapes to now virtual reality (VR) with Supernatural, a subscription-based fitness and wellness platform on Meta Quest.

When asked what it was about this VR fitness app opportunity that felt fun and still on-brand for her to agree to this partnership, Fonda said, “Well, I’m associated with fitness, so it’s on-brand in that way – but also, I hope I’m associated with providing people with workouts that are fun. That’s why I always incorporated music. I got a sense this is going to be fun, being able to work out virtually in some beautiful environment or fascinating environment. I thought – I want to be part of that, and I really enjoyed it a lot.”

Even though she admits to not be “a ‘techie’ person,” Fonda was able to help create a four-part fitness series that provides high-energy workouts, featuring a mix of Supernatural’s signature Boxing and Flow experiences to a low-impact Stretch option.

Fonda said of her contributions when building out this VR experience, “I chose the environment. One of the workouts is in Machu Picchu. One of them is at a beautiful meditative lake in Korea with a beautiful temple. Another one, like the ones that I did with my friend Ludacris, were in a volcano because his music is so great. I wanted environments that were bright and welcoming and interesting. Then, choosing the music – that was another way that I was able to contribute.”

She also took a moment to set the record straight on a popular fitness catchphrase that she says was not of her making. “One thing that kind of upsets me is that I’m credited with saying ‘No pain, no gain’ – but that was not me. I think it’s a dangerous thing to say. When you become an experienced exerciser, you know good pain from bad pain, but on a video tape, I don’t think it’s responsible to say ‘No pain, no gain.’ I said, ‘Go for the burn’ because I showed you that you were really working and you were bringing up lactic acid, but there shouldn’t be pain.”

Continuing to be a working actor and producer in Hollywood, along with her latest fitness pursuits, what does Fonda attribute to her longevity today, not only physically but mentally, as our world experiences tougher times?

“Well, I think I’ve stayed healthy,” Fonda said. “I’ve stayed strong and flexible. That’s because I work out on a regular basis, and that’s why at 87, I was able to do Supernatural with Media Quest. I stay curious – I stay involved. Maybe most importantly, I’m not a loose cannon. I’m part of a team. I have very smart, brilliant, diverse people that I work with – scientists, lawyers, organizers, leaders, funders – and I’m not by myself. Right now, it is absolutely essential that we don’t retreat into isolation. We have to stay unified – we have to stay together. We have to understand what’s happening and we have to not be alone.”