{"id":637113,"date":"2026-06-13T19:36:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T19:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/637113\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T19:36:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T19:36:35","slug":"israeli-born-fitness-pioneer-gilad-janklowicz-dies-at-71-israel-jewish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/637113\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli-born fitness pioneer Gilad Janklowicz dies at 71 – Israel & Jewish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Jun. 10, 2026 \/ JNS)\n <\/p>\n

Gilad Janklowicz, the Israeli-born American Jewish fitness pioneer who lived in Hawaii for decades and inspired millions around the world through his television program to embrace healthy lifestyles, died suddenly on June 9 at the age of 71.<\/p>\n

Jewish Life Television (JLTV), the North American television network where Janklowicz anchored its morning exercise program for more than 15 years, announced his death on Wednesday, without providing details, describing him as \u201ca beloved household name, an exceptional athlete and a cherished member of the JLTV family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born in Israel on July 27, 1954, Janklowicz was an accomplished athlete from an early age and an Olympic hopeful in the decathlon. He dedicated his early years to track and field before serving as a fitness instructor in the Israel Defense Forces. He later moved to Los Angeles to study film at UCLA, combining his passion for storytelling with his commitment to health and wellness.<\/p>\n

In 1983, he launched \u201cBodies in Motion,\u201d pioneering what JLTV described as the first nationally syndicated fitness show filmed entirely on location. Set against the beaches of Hawaii, the program brought exercise into millions of homes and helped redefine televised fitness programming.<\/p>\n

Over the following decades, Janklowicz became one of the world\u2019s most recognizable fitness personalities through programs including \u201cBodies in Motion,\u201d \u201cTotal Body Sculpt\u201d and \u201cTotal Body Sculpt Plus,\u201d with broadcasts reaching audiences across North America, Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Gilad<\/p>\n

Gilad Janklowicz receives the Jack and Elaine LaLanne Inspirational Achievement Award at the IDEA World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles, where he was honored for decades of inspiring healthier lives, July 12, 2024. Credit: JLTV.<\/p>\n

Lifelong love for Israel and his Jewish roots<\/p>\n

Despite his international success, he maintained what JLTV described as a lifelong love for the Jewish state and a deep connection to his Jewish roots. Viewers also came to know his close-knit family through frequent appearances on his programs, including his mother, Ora Janklowicz, who encouraged older people to remain active and died in 2018.<\/p>\n

Although he built an international career in the United States, Janklowicz often spoke about the formative influence of his years in Israel. In interviews, he recalled his youth as an athlete and his four years serving as an instructor in the Israeli military, crediting those experiences with instilling the discipline and values that shaped both his career and his philosophy of life.<\/p>\n

Friends noted that he maintained close ties to Israel throughout his life, returning frequently and continuing to explore ways to connect his work with his homeland. Before his death in June 2026, he was reportedly in advanced discussions to film new fitness programs at some of Israel\u2019s most historic sites, including Masada, reflecting what those close to him described as his enduring love for the country and its heritage.<\/p>\n

Janklowicz\u2019s contributions to fitness and media earned numerous honors, including induction into the National Fitness Hall of Fame and its \u201cFirst in Fitness\u201d award. In 2024, two weeks before his 70th birthday, he received the Jack and Elaine LaLanne Inspirational Achievement Award at the IDEA World Health & Fitness Convention in Los Angeles in recognition of his decades of inspiring healthier lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are absolutely heartbroken,\u201d JLTV executive vice president Brad Pomerance said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cGilad was a force of nature\u2014an incredible, singular talent who built an empire out of making people feel healthy, capable and alive. But beyond the screen and the global brand, Gilad was a dear, deeply loyal friend. Losing his presence in our lives is devastating, and losing his friendship leaves a void that is truly impossible to fill,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u2018Till next time, keep in motion\u2019<\/p>\n

His signature sign-off\u2014\u201cTill next time, keep in motion\u201d\u2014came to embody the optimistic philosophy that made him one of American television\u2019s most enduring, resilient and recognizable fitness personalities. Janklowicz\u2019s philosophy extended far beyond exercise routines. <\/p>\n

\u201cHuman beings are meant to be in motion,\u201d he wrote on his official website<\/a>, describing physical activity as part of humanity\u2019s natural state and encouraging people to strive for their own personal best rather than compete with others. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming the best YOU in the world is a tremendous goal and only you can achieve it,\u201d he wrote. \u201cForget about all the other competitors out there. Your job is to achieve your personal best.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stressed the importance of perseverance and self-care, writing that \u201cnothing is more important than taking care of yourself and taking care of your health\u201d and describing fitness as a lifelong journey rather than a destination. <\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we all have the ability to live our lives as fit and healthy people,\u201d he wrote. \u201cOur bodies possess inherent wisdom about how we best can thrive in the world, culled from thousands of years of human evolution. This information is passed on from generation to generation through our genetic coding. I believe that all we have to do is tap into that inner knowledge, and then our natural abilities will propel us towards living fit and healthy lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

His longtime Israeli friend and colleague, Chaya Halperin, who was an instructor on his TV show, told Ynet that they had been \u201csoulmates for 40 years\u201d and maintained almost daily contact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stayed in touch all those years, with frequent visits\u2014either I was in Hawaii or he came to Israel,\u201d she said. \u201cThe last time I spoke with him was three days ago. We always greeted each other for Shabbat, but that Saturday, he didn\u2019t answer. I called him, and he said, \u2018I just want to sleep; I\u2019ll call you in a few minutes.\u2019 But those minutes never came. That was it.\u201d<\/p>\n

To honor his memory, JLTV said it would air a 12-hour marathon tribute on June 22 featuring classic episodes of \u201cBodies in Motion\u201d and \u201cTotal Body Sculpt.\u201d He was intensely private about his personal life and the network revealed nothing about his next of kin.<\/p>\n

\u201cGilad Janklowicz was a shining light who brought strength, joy and vitality to the world,\u201d it said. \u201cMay his memory be a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Jun. 10, 2026 \/ JNS) Gilad Janklowicz, the Israeli-born American Jewish fitness pioneer who lived in Hawaii for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-637113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}