Fitness with flair. Fitness and fun. Fierce fitness. No matter which description you use, Richard Simmons is still one of the coolest fitness gurus around, and guess what…he graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree! Before then, however, Richard grew up in New Orleans. You can probably imagine how difficult it was to diet with yummy Cajun cuisine and delicious beignets surrounding you all day, every day. According to Simmons, lard was its own food group and dessert was mandatory, so who could blame him for being a little overweight? He was determined, however, to take his health into his own hands by practicing balance in his life, eating healthy, and exercising.
In 1973, Simmons packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles where his major fitness movement began. He felt that all of the gym facilities only catered to people that were already in shape; therefore, he decided to give the city of Los Angeles what it needed: a gym that caters to people of all shapes and sizes. A year later, after consulting with doctors and nutritionists, Simmons created a universal health program and opened his own facility called Slimmons. His program is universal because it caters to everyone from the obese to seniors, and it is still a success today. Simmons is also a very big people person, as he helps people become healthier while making them laugh, which gives him great satisfaction.
“Once upon a time, a long time ago, the post man delivered letters to my mailbox,” said Simmons. “It was so much fun to run out there every day to see who wrote me! I would open the letters with such anticipation, and if somebody needed my help, I was there to help them.”
No matter how much weight a person wants to lose, Simmons can relate, and that makes him all the more successful. He is his own success story as he has kept off his 100+ weight loss for more than 40 years. If you want to see how successful and fun he can be with others, check out this appearance he made on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with one of his clients here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3DE8gCD_Ro
You can now find Simmons attending different events throughout the year in many places across the United States, but it is important to know that he has accomplished much more than that. In fact, he has accomplished a great number of other things, including landing an acting gig on the soap opera “General Hospital”. This is where his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State University came in handy, but really, Simmons wasn’t acting. He became so successful that his four year role on the show involved him playing himself! He still receives cameo roles on the soap opera from time to time. Simmons also had “The Richard Simmons Show”, which received several Emmy Awards over the four years it ran on television. He is also the author of nine books including the New York Times best-seller, Never Say Diet.
Unfortunately, we can’t all go to his awesome gym, but he does have 65 different fitness videos that we can purchase. Who doesn’t want an enthusiastic, funny, and encouraging trainer right in their living room? Richard Simmons lives a life that inspires, so let’s follow our fellow ‘nole and try to live a happier, healthier life.