Jillian Michaels suffered a spinal injury in 2021 that led her to believe her life was over.
Michaels, 49, revealed the pain was "so bad," she had to "crawl on the ground" at times.
"I wish it was some gangster motorcycle story where I told you I was racing motorcycles or Lindsey Vonn-ing downhill at 60 miles an hour, but it wasn't," Michaels told People magazine. "It makes it that much more disturbing, because in a way, it wasn't preventable."
The "Biggest Loser" trainer admitted she was injured after slipping in the bathroom and hitting her back on the edge of the bathtub. Michaels had been running into the bathroom to speak to her wife DeShana Marie Minuto.
Despite the fall, Michaels did not immediately seek medical attention. She experienced lower back pain for six weeks before heading to the hospital. The 49-year-old was told she had some sort of "nerve impingement" by doctors.
"I couldn't sleep. The pain at night was so bad," Michaels explained. "I truly thought to myself, ‘The only thing I think would be worse than this would be burns.’ It was so crazy. I couldn't walk, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't stand. I was having to crawl on the ground. I'm like, 'My life is over.'"
Michaels sought further medical attention and was eventually told that she had fractured her L3 vertebrae. She had been stretching and trying to heal the injury, which had only made it worse, according to her doctor.
"What this guy basically has me doing is nothing," Michaels explained. "He literally is like, 'You're going to lay on your stomach. You're going to work on standing, you're going to walk as many steps as you can, you are going to lay back down and that's it.' That went on for a month."
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Michaels kept the injury a secret, not wanting to tell anyone until she figured out how it could possibly affect her life.
"I'm posting old videos from 20 years ago on social media," Michaels told the outlet. "I'm not doing any press. I've disappeared off the grid. No one knows. Nobody has any idea as all of this is going on except my immediate circle. I'm like, 'I'm not telling this story until I know how this story ends.'"
Since the injury, Michaels has recovered and is enjoying life almost the way she was before.
"I'm riding horses," the celebrity fitness trainer noted. "I'm riding jet skis, I'm snowboarding. I'm just super, super careful."
Michaels has had a successful career as a personal trainer. She has made numerous appearances on NBC including "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing It With Jillian." The trainer also appeared on CBS' "The Doctors."
The TV personality even has her own app, "Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App." The software boasts numerous yoga, HIIT, kickboxing, walking & running programs to do at home or at the gym.
Michaels shares two kids with former fiancée Heidi Rhoades; Lukensia Michaels Rhoades, 13, and Phoenix Michaels Rhoades, 10.
The fitness trainer is now married to Minuto. The couple tied the knot in 2022 and plan to hold an official ceremony in Venice, Italy on June 23, 2023, according to People.
