Celebrating Magnificence in our ‘Ohana: Gilad Janklowicz

Celebrating Magnificence in our ‘Ohana: Gilad Janklowicz

By Sarah Hodges

I’m always very inspired to hear of someone who can make their greatest passion their life’s work. Our “Bodies in Motion” teacher Gilad Janklowicz is one of those special people who lives his life centered around what excites him most: physical movement. I can imagine that as he has traveled through the world and shared his passion, sparks of aliveness and life force energy have radiated out from him, reminding hundreds of thousands of people of their own spark within.  

Last month this dear friend of Still & Moving Center’s, Gilad Janklowicz, received the prestigious Jack and Elaine LaLanne Inspirational Achievement Award at the Los Angeles IDEA World Fitness conference. Renée Tillotson and a small group of supporting staff attended the conference with an Academy of Mindful Movement booth and in celebration of Gilad. Renée joyfully accepted Gilad’s special invitation to the conference’s VIP awards ceremony and was thrilled to see some of the great names in the fitness industry celebrating Gilad for his lifelong work. She felt especially touched to watch LaLa (Elaine LaLanne) at age ___ introduce Gilad, they being close friends for many years.

In 2023, Gilad felt himself drawn into Still & Moving Center, where he was warmly welcomed by our Ambassador of Aloha, Doris Morisaki. As one of Gilad’s many former television audience students and a former resident of Tel Aviv, Doris was excited to introduce Gilad to all of us. After attending his first Nia class with Renée, Gilad quickly became a beloved part of the Still & Moving faculty, bringing us Bodies in Motion, both online and in person. Diving deeper, Gilad attended and graduated from the Academy of Mindful Movement. Gilad brings his enthusiasm, his humor, and deep expertise to our community of movers.

Gilad’s career in fitness grew out of his early love for track and field. As a young boy in Israel, he showed natural ability for the sport. After finishing high school, he joined the armed forces and soon became an officer in charge of troop fitness. It was clear from the beginning that this was one of his greatest strengths and passions.

During his time in the armed forces, he competed in track and field, specializing in the Decathelon as a member of the Israeli national track team. Finding time for competitions didn’t always come easily while on active military duty. Though his commanders did their best to support his excelling in this sport, they prioritized his military duty first and foremost.

Gilad tells a story about one particular competition: the 1976 National Championships. He’d asked his commanding officer for the time off, and this officer promised him a two week vacation to train and get ready for the competition. Over the course of the following weeks, however, the situation changed and the military went on high alert. Gilad’s commander told him he could no longer go to the competition since their security level had changed. “But you promised, and these are the Nationals that only happen once a year!” Gilad tried to reason with him. Holding firm to his initial decision, the commander denied him any time off. 

Gilad made a decision that would change his life forever. He decided to take the ‘vacation’ anyway – better known as ‘leave without consent’. He prepared diligently for his competition, broke the national Decathlon record, and became Israel’s national champion in this grueling event. 

The following day Gilad returned to his military unit … 

The news of his breaking the national record had gotten around and his fellow officers were giving him the thumbs up at the officers’ lounge. Then the base commander walked up and with a stern look commanded, “At my office in one hour, I am court martialing you! By the way…. Congratulations!”

“I only break the rules when absolutely necessary,” Gilad explains later. He’s a person of great honor and believes in doing what is right. And once in a while, what’s right is in direct conflict with the rules at hand.

After serving in the military and continuing his career in track and field in Israel, Gilad moved to the US to train for the Olympics. He landed in Los Angeles, a fitness mecca during that time. There, he trained and became close with the first television fitness guru, Jack LaLanne himself. Gilad remembers attending an awards ceremony where Jack, at age 70 received an award for his vast contributions to the world of fitness. Little did Gilad know, he would receive such an award from Jack’s wife, ‘the first lady of fitness’ Elaine Lalanne, many years later at the 2024 IDEA fitness conference, just a couple weeks shy of his 70th birthday.

From Los Angeles, Gilad was offered a job in Hawai’i where he took off as a fitness instructor at the Honolulu Club. It was during these years that Gilad developed “Bodies in Motion”, a TV fitness program that became ESPN’s first-ever daily fitness show. The show became known and loved by millions, eventually broadcasting in over 80 countries worldwide. Many folks of various ages here on island fondly recall exercising with Gilad on TV.

What drives Gilad the most is seeing how movement can transform people’s lives. He loves watching unhealthy, low-spirited people transform themselves. After consistent movement, he sees people regain the spark in their eyes. Fitness not only brings physical transformation but also psychological, emotional, and even spiritual renewal. 

Through Bodies in Motion, people can exercise to videos shot on-location in front of beautiful Hawaiian landscapes. He inspired many thousands of people to get moving and get healthier.

In 2007 the US National Fitness Hall of Fame inducted Gilad for his Bodies in Motion television show. In 2019 they bestowed upon him the prestigious First in Fitness award for the longest-running fitness show in US history (breaking Jack Lalanne show’s record). In 2022 the Hall awarded Gilad a Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Gilad continues to live a very active lifestyle, still holding classes, and preparing for his 40th Bodies In Motion season, as well as other fun fitness video projects.

For all his fame and amazing accolades, Gilad moves through the world with unassuming humility. Talking with him in the lobby at Still & Moving, you’d never guess how accomplished and famous he is. He’s always looking for the next technique or tip he can learn to make moving in healthy ways more accessible to those around him.

Congratulations, Gilad, on your most recent award!