Heidi Gillis focuses on active aging and older-adult fitness

Heidi Gillis, a Fitness Specialist with HLGWI and licensed Physical Therapist Assistant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is combining rehabilitation experience, Tai Chi, and personalized coaching to help older adults stay mobile and independent. Her profile highlights the growing need for accessible, preventive wellness support as aging adults seek to maintain strength, balance, and quality of life.

Why it matters: - Heidi Gillis works with older adults who want to maintain mobility, strength, balance, and independence as they age. - Her work addresses access barriers for people with limited mobility and for patients navigating Medicare coverage for preventive care. - The approach centers on practical, sustainable wellness support that can improve quality of life over time.

What happened: - Heidi Gillis, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is featured as a health, wellness, and fitness professional focused on active aging, older adult fitness, and senior wellness. - Gillis works as a part-time contracted Fitness Specialist with HLGWI and delivers both virtual and in-person classes. - Her programs include Tai Chi, Qigong, arthritis fitness, fall prevention, senior fitness, and lifestyle coaching. - Gillis spent 21 years in television administration before moving into healthcare and fitness. - She earned a degree in supervisory management, became a certified personal fitness trainer in 2011, completed an associate degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant at NWTC, and began working as a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant in 2017.

The details: - Gillis holds WITS certifications as a Personal Fitness Trainer and Senior Fitness Specialist. - Through MedFit Network, Gillis is certified as an Arthritis Fitness Specialist and holds multiple Tai Chi and Qigong credentials. - Gillis also holds SilverSneakers, RenewActive, OnePass, Aaptiv Access, and Silver & Fit/Active & Fit certification. - Her additional credentials include Certifications in Exercise and Cancer Survivorship and a Lifestyle Fitness Coach certification. - Gillis belongs to the American Physical Therapy Association, MedFit Network, the American Tai Chi Qigong Association, and the Tai Chi for Health Institute. - She also writes about health, including an article on how small daily habits can help prevent disease, boost energy, and improve overall well-being. - Her coaching style emphasizes listening closely, understanding each client’s needs, and tailoring support to lifestyle, abilities, and circumstances. - Gillis says effective wellness coaching depends on genuine connection, openness, and understanding the whole person. - She volunteers with Calvary Lutheran Church in Green Bay.

Between the lines: - Gillis’s background in both administration and rehabilitation gives her a blended perspective that is unusual in fitness and senior wellness. - Her focus on empathy and personalization reflects a broader shift toward patient-centered care in aging services. - The emphasis on socialization suggests Gillis sees wellness as more than exercise, with connection treated as part of health. - Her comments about access and Medicare point to structural barriers that can limit preventive care for older adults. - Her advice to young women in the field centers on consistency, passion, and a holistic approach to clients and careers.

What's next: - Gillis says she remains committed to accessible, inclusive, and evidence-informed approaches to lifelong health and active aging. - She plans to continue helping older adults move with greater confidence, stay connected, and preserve independence. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile or through HLGWI.

The bottom line: - Heidi Gillis is building a second career around older-adult wellness, using rehab training, fitness credentials, and personalized coaching to support healthier aging.