Richard Simmons has made it his life’s work to make exercise fun for everyone. The picture above is a photo he took in 1984.
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Richard Simmons has made it his life’s work to make exercise fun for everyone. The picture above is a photo he took in 1984.
ABC/Getty Images
Richard Simmons is instantly recognizable with his short shorts, shiny tank top and curly hair. He is one of the most creative, flamboyant and beloved fitness celebrities of the past 50 years.
A representative confirmed to NPR that Simmons died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He is 76 years old. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department told NPR that officers conducted a death investigation at an address in the Hollywood Hills. NPR used public records to match that address to a home owned by Simmons.
Police did not disclose the cause of death but said foul play was not suspected.
Simmons began building a fitness empire in the 1970s that included films, classes, books, products, television commercials, his own show and numerous television appearances.
It helped that his entrepreneurship coincided with new technology – or at least it was new technology in the 1980s. Simmons taped the workout sessions and played them on a VCR. During his lifetime, he produced more than 65 fitness videos, such as “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” which sold more than 20 million copies.
He grew into an “unhappy, confused teenager”
Born Milton Teagle Richard Simmons in New Orleans, he described himself as a glutton as a child. Others bullied and teased him because of his weight.
“I didn’t have any physical education growing up,” he recalled on NPR’s “Tell Me More” in 2008. I’m a very…unhappy person.
Simmons said on his website that he tried dieting and laxatives but ultimately adopted a “balanced, moderate diet and exercise lifestyle.” His life’s work has been to make exercise fun – for all types of bodies.
In 1974, Simmons opened his own studio in Beverly Hills to serve those who wanted to lose weight and get in shape. It was originally called the “Anatomical Asylum” but later became known as “SLIMMONS”. It even had one of the area’s first salad bars called “Ruffage.” Simmons worked there until 2013.
Simmons’ workout style is upbeat and enthusiastic. In a commercial for his popular “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” video, he enthuses: “If you’re looking for a lively, fun, exciting, humorous, colorful, playful, playful, inspiring, safe,… A low-impact workout packed with excitement, excitement, enthusiasm, passion, fury, hustle, and action, you don’t have to look any further!
There’s no other fitness celebrity like Richard Simmons. Historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela said no one else in exercise films from the era looked like anyone in his class. “They were of all ages, men and women. Most notably, many were considered overweight by the standards of the time.”
Petrzela, author of “Fitness Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession,” said welcoming fat people into fitness was revolutionary in the 1970s and 1980s. However, Petzella recently said Simmons has been criticized for fat-shaming.
“This criticism is not wrong,” she said. “But I also think it’s very important to see the important work he did in expanding people’s consciousness. World Health Organization They deserve to exercise, they deserve to be welcomed in the gym, and they deserve to find joy through exercise and within the athletic community.
In his 60s, Simmons became a recluse. Many of his fans are confused as to why this very public and active man has gone quiet and not left his home. podcast Richard Simmons is missing Several documentaries have delved into the mystery, including one produced by TMZ and airing on Fox and Hulu. In his 2022 statement, Simmons succinctly thanked his fans. Early interviews, such as one on Today in 2016, mentioned health concerns and a desire for alone time.
Simmons’ philosophy is simple. He preaches positivity, portion control, and moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day. It’s a message that resonates with people who don’t think of themselves in the traditional fitness world, as well as those who feel like they’re the last to be chosen for the team.
