About
Gigi Corkett
Personal Trainer | Group Fitness Instructor | Nutrition Coach
My Story
I began my fitness and wellness career in 2000 in a clinical setting, helping rehabilitate patients with diagnoses including chronic pain, stroke, and brain injury. I’ve been a group fitness instructor for more than 15 years, and I specialize in teaching barre, low-impact strength training, and mobility.
I enjoy the challenge of working with and developing programs for a range of clients, from the seasoned athlete to those in the post-injury/rehab phase. I’m a certified personal trainer and certified nutrition coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
When I’m not training, I love backpacking, Wes Anderson films, pickleball, and thrift store shopping.
How I Got Here
My first job out of college was as a therapeutic recreation aide, where I used recreation, not exercise per se, to help patients recover after a stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or amputation. For example, gardening to teach strength, arts and crafts to teach fine motor skills, or field trips to teach mobility. It was through that job that I fell in love with the human body and what it can do!
Although a few different career changes led me away from the wellness profession, I inadvertently started my career in group fitness when I began teaching Middle Eastern dance in 2006 to a group of coworkers. That led me to becoming barre certified in 2013. I taught barre full-time for ten years at a boutique barre franchise, and added personal training to my resume during the pandemic, when I started to train one-on-one virtually.
At My Core, I’m an Educator
Two things shape how I coach: I have a degree in Physical Education, and I’m certified to teach English to foreign language speakers, something I did overseas in Indonesia during my twenties.
The second one seems super random, but these two things ARE relevant. Why? Because at my core, I am an educator. In my opinion, there is no point showing people how to do an exercise if they’re not going to understand it and can’t do it on their own at some point in time. Ensuring my clients understand why, how, and what they are doing is extremely important to me, so I have sharpened my ability to communicate effectively, and that comes through in my client work.
My Approach to Nutrition
As someone with a chronic disease, I was reliant on prescription medication for decades. Once I learned how to use food as medicine, my health completely changed. I have more energy, maintain a healthy weight naturally, and rarely get sick. I personally stick with a 90/10 or 80/20 approach to food because if I don’t, my condition will create dysfunction in my life, and that can start a domino effect of negative outcomes (anxiety, mood swings, poor sleep quality, depression, and more).
So when it comes to coaching clients on nutrition, I encourage a whole foods approach over processed. I’m not a huge fan of calorie counting because that often creates more stress for people and isn’t sustainable. Instead, I coach clients on habit change, nutrition education (the idea that not all calories are made equal), and mindful eating practices. If anything, I advise clients to add more food to their diet, not less, for example complex carbohydrates and protein. In my experience, most people don’t eat enough of those.
Three Guarantees When You Train With Me
- I will tailor your workout plan to your specific needs and abilities, taking into consideration any medical or physical limitations you may have, as well as your lifestyle goals.
- I will prioritize your safety and well-being, ensuring that all exercises are done properly to prevent injuries. I will also teach you proper form until you feel confident enough to do exercises on your own, before increasing resistance.
- I will encourage you to pay just as much attention to what you eat as to how you work out.
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