Jane Fonda said aging is not so scary” ahead of her 85th birthday.

Jane Fonda said aging is not so scary” ahead of her 85th birthday.

Jane Fonda isn't afraid of getting older.

"Turning 85 is no different than turning 84 or 86," the actress and activist told InStyle ahead of her 85th birthday on December 21. "I'm seriously in the middle of 'old age,'" she added. "But once you're inside, rather than looking at it from the outside, it's not as scary."

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Fonda has been open about getting older lately. "When you're my age, you better be aware of how much time is behind you versus in front of you," she told Entertainment Tonight in November. "I mean, that's just realistic," she said, adding that she's "not afraid to walk."

Fonda has a few ideas, which makes her feel good. "I'm a curious person and I'm constantly learning, and I think that's important," she told InStyle. "My father died six years younger than me, and sure, I have cancer, but we're getting it under control with chemotherapy and I feel lucky."

The Grace and Frankie star recently announced that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that starts in the immune system. Since posting the news on Instagram in September 2022, not only did she seem to be in good spirits about the diagnosis, but she also shared a video of herself working out shortly after starting chemotherapy.

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“About three weeks after my first chemo session, I have to tell you that I feel stronger than I have in years,” she wrote in a blog post. The text came alongside a clip of her doing squats against an exercise ball on a wall while holding dumbbells in her hands. It may seem counterintuitive to exercise during chemotherapy, but experts confirm it helps with cancer-related fatigue, Shape previously reported.

It's not entirely surprising that Fonda continues to incorporate exercise into her routine throughout her cancer treatment. Her '80s workout bands are iconic, and she's shared motivational snippets of her current fitness routine over the years on Instagram, where Fonda has nearly two million followers.

In addition to posts about her activism against climate change, Fonda's social media profile is full of workout inspiration. On Halloween, she shared a selfie of herself with her trainer. “Yes, I train,” she wrote at the time. The actress also shared some snaps of a home glute workout done using resistance bands last year.

Although she still finds ways to move, Fonda's workout habits have evolved since her legwarmers and leotard days. “I know better than I did when I was younger that exercising age-appropriately is absolutely critical to a healthy life, no matter how old you are or who you are or where you are,” she told Vogue in August. "My motto now is not for combustion. It's slower," she added.

Overall, her perspective on aging is really refreshing. "The fact that I'm still alive and working, wow, who cares if I don't have my old joints," Fonda said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in April. “You know, you can be really old at 60, and you can be really young at 85,” she said at the time.

We hope Fonda feels young on her 85th birthday.