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Jillian Michaels Caught COVID-19 And Warns People To Avoid Gyms

The one thing she didn’t exercise was caution.

Fitness guru Jillian Michaels, well known for her tough talk in coaching contestants on “The Biggest Loser,” revealed Tuesday that she contracted the coronavirus because she “let my guard down for an hour.”

She also offered a blunt warning to those pondering a return to their workout center during the pandemic: “A public gym is probably a place where you will get” COVID-19.

In an interview with Fox Business host Liz Claman, Michaels discussed the advantages of home training over public gyms. Then she got personal.

“If you are afraid of COVID, you should not go to the gym,” Michaels said. “And I actually am a person who let my guard down. I haven’t even spoken about this publicly really, and a very close friend of mine gave me COVID several weeks ago.”

She continued: “I’m fortunate to have gone into it being healthy and I was able to get on the other side of it pretty quick. But, not everyone is that lucky, as we know. And all I can tell you is if you are afraid of getting COVID, a public gym is probably a place where you will get it.

“And I would love to tell you that’s not the case, but the reality is I literally let my guard down for an hour with one of my best friends who does my hair and makeup and got it.”

Michaels, who was promoting her home fitness app, urged viewers to take precautions.

“It’s just simple,” she said. “So, if you’re not in a mask and that person is not in a mask, and they have COVID and have no idea — because, by the way, I had no idea that I had it for six days [and] my friend had no idea that she had it when she gave it to me — anticipate that you will likely get it in an environment like that. And if you are afraid of it, by all means, it’s not a move that I would recommend making.”

Jillian Michaels, pictured in January, believes she contracted COVID-19 from a friend. (Photo: Paul Archuleta via Getty Images)
Jillian Michaels, pictured in January, believes she contracted COVID-19 from a friend. (Photo: Paul Archuleta via Getty Images)

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.