Jillian Michaels said she's stopped doing 'stupid shit' in the gym — it's time to 'build a body for the long haul'

• Trainer Jillian Michaels said she changed her exercise routine to prioritize stability and basic movement.
• She said she was motivating by recovering from an injury and watching peers deal with health issues.

Celebrity personal trainer Jillian Michaels said she's changed the way she works out in recent years, focusing less on looking impressive and more on feeling good and taking care of her body.

"It changes with every decade of life. You're young, you're vain. As I've gotten older, it's kind of scary to see my peers start to struggle with health conditions I think they're too young to struggle with. And that gets my ass to the gym faster than ever," Michaels told Insider in an interview about her partnership with fitness tracker and smartwatch company iTOUCH Wearables.

She said a recent injury also helped her realize the importance of sustainable, long-term healthy habits, not just in the gym but in her daily routine, which now focuses on stability, mobility, and longevity.

"Everything I do is about fundamentals all day long, corrective exercise and basic biomechanics to avoid injury and build a body for the long haul," Michaels said.

A recent injury was a wake-up call to prioritize her health

Michaels, 48, said she had a bad fall in 2021 which left her with a fractured spine and three herniated discs — since then, she's been more focused on staying healthy and pain-free.

"I couldn't stand for three months, let alone walk, I couldn't sleep, I was in so much pain. I never felt more out of control and I never felt more afraid," she said.

While unable to exercise, Michaels said she paid more attention to her nutrition. She also added supplements, cold exposure, and breathwork to her routine, habits she's maintained because of "fantastic" results.

But when she returned to the gym, her exercise priorities changed too, emphasizing pain-free movement and preventing further injury.

"With the injury, I really started focusing on biomechanics," Michaels said. "It's all about maintaining the integrity of my spine, focusing on my core."

While recovering, she said she was unsettled to see that people her age often lacked the mobility, stability, or strength, to perform simple exercises and were struggling with symptoms like joint pain and low energy even if they seemed healthy or didn't need to lose weight.

"We're in our 40s and it freaks me out because it's happening younger and younger. It goes to show you that you can be unhealthy at any size," she said.

Basic movements get better long-term results than flashy Instagram routines

For the safest, most effective workouts, Michaels said she's foregone eye-catching feats of athleticism in favor of basic movements with good form.

"With my own routines, I used to do all kinds of stupid shit just to see if I could, stuff like squatting on balance balls, just to see if I could or put it on Instagram, but now I don't have the luxury of making a mistake," she said.

Foundational strength training movements include squats, lunges, and hip hinges, as well as push, pull, and carry movements for a full-body stability and mobility.

Evidence suggests the best benefits from exercise come from combining strength training with aerobic (cardio) exercise.

Walking is a great way to get more cardio, according to Michaels, and said fitness wearables like iTOUCH can be a helpful tool to track your steps, along with keeping an eye on your heart health.

Contrary to popular belief, Michaels said she doesn't "work out all the time," and that simple workouts are key to keeping her routine sustainable and healthy long-term.

"It's about focusing on excellent fundamentals and basic movement to ensure mobility, core strength, and stability, to build all those basic fitness modalities for the long run," she said.