'I Must Honor My Body': Fran Drescher's Philosophy On Aging Is All About Self-Care

Fran Drescher's philosophy on aging is all about taking care of her body. The star of the '90s sitcom "The Nanny" has taken a candid approach to getting older, centered less on Botox and more on feeling comfortable in her skin and taking care of herself. "You need to support your body if you want to age well," Drescher told Closer Weekly in 2019. "I feel it in a way that I've never felt it before: I must honor my body."

While we might want to steal Drescher's quirky mob wife aesthetic from "The Nanny", we're also interested in stealing her holistic approach to aging. Drescher focuses on rest, exercise, and healthy food in her pursuit to honor her body, and a key part of her approach to wellness is stress reduction. Drescher told Verywell Health in December 2022 how stress can affect health and aging, saying, "I've found that my immune system responds poorly to stress." Drescher continued, "I have to be mindful and say, 'I can't get this stressed, or I'll get sick.' When I'm noticing stress, I will force myself to lie down and decompress. Or, I'll take a walk in the fresh air and appreciate the trees." Drescher's approach is a wise one because, according to science, women can feel stress more acutely than men. In light of this, Drescher is very careful to avoid stewing in stress in order to support her overall health.

There's an important reason why Fran Drescher prioritizes self-care. In 2000, after spending two years trying to get an accurate diagnosis since feeling certain that something was wrong with her body, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer. The experience shaped Drescher's approach to wellness and self-care, ultimately stressing the importance of listening to your body. "Your body works hard, and you have to respect it. You can do that by listening to it. And if you think something is going on with your health, pay attention so that you can get to the root of the issue and make the necessary changes," she said while speaking with Verywell Health. "We all deserve a long, healthy life."

Building on her experience as a cancer survivor, Drescher said that self-care was an essential part of practicing preventative care. "It ain't over until you are," Drescher went on. "There are always things you can work on and improve — especially regarding your health." In this light, it's worth looking into exercise. There are ways to get into exercising in your 50s and beyond, because it's never too late to get healthy. In addition to movement, Drescher's approach to wellness is gentle and slow. She told New Beauty that she prioritizes SPF for her skin and loves to dry brush her body. Clearly, she loves to protect and nurture herself; a worthwhile investment in long-term health.