Richard Simmons, the health guru who devoted his life to getting individuals to sweat along with his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” exercise movies, died early Saturday morning, his consultant confirmed to CBS Information. He was 76.
Simmons died a day after his birthday. He posted a message on his social media accounts on Friday that learn, “Thanks… I’ve by no means obtained so many birthday messages in my life! I’m sitting right here typing emails.” It was published. Message after message saying they are going to miss him and thanking him for his positivity and encouragement.
At 9:57 a.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles Police Division responded to a radio name to analyze a dying within the Hollywood Hills West neighborhood, the Los Angeles Police Division advised CBS Information. Authorities mentioned the hearth division joined police within the 1300 block of Belfast Drive, the place Simmons’ house is positioned.
At all times filled with vitality and a smile, Simmons wore shiny T-shirts and shorts. His exercise movies within the Eighties and Nineties turned his house right into a gymnasium, educating the world the best way to keep match.
However his enthusiasm for health got here from an unhealthy starting.
“You already know, I am from New Orleans, Louisiana, and we eat all the pieces fried there, we even take leaves from outdoors and dip them in breadcrumbs and fry them,” he advised CBS’s “Sunday Morning” in 2010.
Born in 1948 in Louisiana, Simmons struggled along with his weight as a toddler, weighing 268 kilos when he graduated from highschool.
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“As soon as upon a time, there was a bit fats child in New Orleans who offered pralines on avenue corners to make a residing for his household,” Simmons mentioned.
It was a well being drawback that modified his life.
“This little man took it severely, pulled himself collectively and determined to be a piper for well being,” Simmons mentioned.
And other people adopted him—for 40 years. Simmons was nonetheless educating workouts in his 60s at his Beverly Hills gymnasium, carrying a disco ball, a file participant, and a shiny T-shirt.
“I’ve to remain at 135 kilos so I can match into the 1980 Dolphin shorts,” Simmons mentioned.
His health movies have offered over 20 million copies, and he has appeared in TV exhibits, commercials, and even cartoons.
He grew to become a political activist for kids, campaigning for bodily schooling in faculties, and combating for wholesome consuming and in opposition to unhealthy diets.
“By no means say weight-reduction plan, say dwell your life. You need your physique to dwell, not die,” Simmons mentioned.
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Simmons has appeared lots of of occasions on tv speak exhibits, however in 2014, he went from being in every single place to nowhere, disappearing from the general public eye for years. In April 2017, Post a message On Fb: “I am not ‘lacking’, simply feeling a bit drained.”
For his followers, his message remained.
“I hope that in the future we will all turn out to be smarter about how we care for the one factor God gave us — our physique,” Simmons mentioned.
Richard Simmons helped begin the motion.
