Jane Seymour has been working out consistently for decades, making exercise a long-standing part of her routine.
‘Your body is meant to move. Whether it’s a full workout, a walk around the block, or just a good stretch, something is always better than nothing. You don’t need perfect conditions, just the commitment to start,’ the East of Eden actress said on Instagram.
And part of that commitment to fitness has involved working with personal trainer Jeeny Miller in Malibu for over 18 years.
‘She’s a very dedicated student,’ the Gyrotonic and Pilates teacher and former Pepperdine University coach tells WH from her Gyrotonic Malibu studio.
Initially, Jane mainly practised Pilates, but after a few sessions with Miller she became a Gyrotonic convert.
‘After I opened my studio, I think someone recommended me to Jane. Now she even brings her children when they are around – we’re like a family,’ Miller says.
Created by Juliu Horvath in the 1980s, Gyrotonic uses specialised equipment and circular, spiralling movements to develop a ‘more supple spine, increased range of motion, greater joint stability, [and] improved agility’, according to the Gyrotonic website. Inspired by swimming, dance and yoga, it features two main methods: Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis.
Miller describes her Gyrotonic and Pilates training as ‘a very intelligent workout’ involving ‘lots of thinking, connection, deep breathing, alignment and postural awareness’.
Jane has shared clips of herself practising Gyrotonic and Pilates at Miller’s studio.
‘Back in the gym after all my travels! Exercising using Gyrotonic with Jeeny Miller, working on abs and rotation in my hips and spine whilst doing weights for my arms. Working hard!’ she said on Instagram.
‘Moving my body always lifts my spirit. Pilates keeps me strong, centred, and ready for whatever the day brings. It’s not about perfection, it’s about feeling good from the inside out,’ she added in another Instagram post.
Jane’s training schedule
Miller shares that Jane usually books in 10 – sometimes 20 – sessions with her at a time, with each one lasting around 55 minutes. How quickly she gets through them depends on her travel schedule.
‘If she’s in town, she comes between two and three times a week. If she’s out of town, then she’ll come around three or four times a month,’ Miller explains.
‘She’ll let me know when she leaves [California], when she’ll be back and which days she’s free. So her schedule is set,’ Miller reveals.
She focuses on her abs, arms and hips 
On the Gyrotonic pulley tower, ‘we do a lot of hip and leg work’, Miller explains. ‘She lies down on a bench and I put the straps on her feet.’
On the reformer, she focuses on arm work. ‘In between, I add free weights as well,’ says Miller.
True to form, Jane posted a video on Instagram of herself performing chest presses and skull crushers on the reformer.
Core exercises are also central to their practice.
‘With the Gyrotonic system and Pilates, all the movements originate from your core,’ says Miller. ‘So first you put your core and back in the right place, then you move your arms, legs and hips,’ she explains.
Jane’s go-to moves
Miller says Jane’s workout consist of several different moves.
On the trapeze table (also called the Cadillac or TrapTable), Jane warms up her back and abdominals by holding the pulley, rolling back and then rolling up. She also places her feet in the straps and rolls toward it.
Jane’s ‘favourite’ move is the Pilates Teaser, where she brings her legs and arms up while pushing part of the TrapTable.
On the reformer, she enjoys the elephant, where she places her hands on the foot bar and her feet on the carriage to draw it backwards and forwards. Miller says this movement works the entire body, particularly your abs, arms and legs.
Another exercise Jane performs is the mermaid, a side-bending exercise performed in both Pilates and Gyrotonic training. She sits sideways with one hand on the machine while the other reaches ‘over her head’, opening through the obliques and the side of the body. She pushes the carriage away and then pulls herself back in.
On the Gyrotonic equipment, they work the upper body before Jane lies on the bench to focus on her hips and legs.
For mobility, Jane also likes the Gyrotonic pulley equipment, Wunda Chair and working with the TRUE Stretch cage, which allows her to go even deeper into stretches that ‘open and lengthen the body’.
Her routine also includes these additional movements:
- Abdominals: The Hundred, plank to pike, kneeling abdominals and reverse crunches. ‘These movements challenge the deep abdominal stabilisers using a sliding carriage and varying resistance,’ says Miller.
- Upper body (arms and shoulders): Bicep curls, hug-a-tree, tricep dips and Superman.
- Lower body (thighs, glutes and hips): Sidekicks, clamshells, pelvic curls, back-release movements and leg circles.
She switches up her equipment
Jane uses three or four machines each session.
‘That way she gets 100% out of each,’ says Miller. ‘The choice depends on what she needs that day.’
They make sure to switch it up throughout the week.
‘When she comes back in two days, we use another machine,’ Miller continues. ‘We make sure to work through different alignments and levels of resistance.’
Jane trains for long-term health
Miller says that Jane’s attitude to fitness has remained consistent over the years.
‘Her goals are the same: to maintain her energy and prioritise her long-term health and longevity, with fitness as an added benefit,’ she says.
Generally, Jane continues to prefer the traditional approach. ‘She likes classic Pilates – [it changes] a little here and there, but not the base,’ Miller clarifies.
As a trainee, Jane is ‘strong’ but ‘very humble and caring’ and has ‘an instinct for what is right for her,’ she adds. ‘And of course, she looks amazing.’
Despite travelling constantly, Jane remains highly motivated.
‘Before I used to ask her, “Are you jet lagged?” but she’d say, “I don’t have time for jet lag. Don’t be worried, let’s go,”‘ Miller says.
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