Sweating it out: The Hunt for Fitness Legend Richard Simmons

"Exploring the Mystical Side of Los Angeles: A Journey Through the City's Spiritual and Supernatural Wonders"

In Los Angeles, the city of angels, there are many who have been dubbed as such, from pop stars to movie stars. However, one individual who stood out from the rest was Richard Simmons, the fitness guru who arrived in the city in the 1970s. Simmons became famous through his Sweatin’ to the Oldies aerobics videos, and was a regular on shows such as David Letterman and Howard Stern. Despite his fame, Simmons was often mocked for his signature upbeat energy and his short shorts and tights. However, to those who knew him, he was seen as a kind of saint.

Simmons was one of the very first to “brand” himself, and his gym, Slimmons, was still open after 40 years, offering twice-weekly aerobics classes with the man himself. The gym was a bare-bones auditorium, with classes that were cheap as chips. Most significantly, if you were too overweight or old to exercise standing up, he would provide a chair. Simmons answered all fanmail and emails himself, and regularly drove elderly attendees to class.

Born in 1948, Simmons was overweight by the age of four, and by five knew his weight was perceived negatively. As an adult, he wanted to act but only played “freak show” characters in Fellini’s Satyricon and The Clowns, reaching a peak of 121.5kg. On losing 45kg, he turned to sharing his aerobic journey professionally.

On setting foot in his class, one journalist recognised Richard as a particular kind of Jewish man from her family tree. He was cut from the same cloth as her dad, running up and down the stairs carrying the cat on a throne made from a basket of folded laundry, or Uncle Len guiding them, skipping, through the cemetery on Halloween. She recognised in him the combination of manic and warm. She knew, by the end of her first session, that the highest honour was if Richard came close and shrieked in your face. From someone so inherently warm, it was like an ice bath from one of LA’s famous Koreatown spas: alarming, invigorating and value for money.

Exercise has always been about mental health to the journalist, something she struggled with in her teens and early 20s. The irony is that what drew her to Richard was the way he seemed to do jumping jacks atop a lava beneath which lay complete madness. If she could encapsulate all her classes into one moment, it’s doing the grapevine to a hi-NRG remix of My Heart Will Go On, a 90-year-old side-eyeing her to make sure she wasn’t moving in on her spot in the front row, Richard screaming in aerobic delirium, dressed as Black Swan. He wore too many costumes to list but she particularly remembers a Highland Fling tartan and an outfit made from sporks.

The journalist took her fiancé, Ben, to a class, charmed he was happy to take part in this absurd and absurdist 90 minutes. When Ben (who is not a gym person) was overwhelmed, Richard flipped his dentures at him to make him laugh. Afterwards they…

Richard Simmons may not have been officially canonised as a saint, but his legacy lives on through those who knew him and loved him. His dedication to helping those who were too overweight or too old to exercise standing up was a testament to his kind and caring nature. He will always be remembered as one of the true angels of Los Angeles.

Martin Reid

Martin Reid

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