Fitness

Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76

Published

1 year ago

July 13, 2024

Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76

NEW YORK — Richard Simmons, television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday.

Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist Tom Estey said in an email to The Associated Press. He gave no further details.

Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a house — whose address the AP has matched with Simmons through public records — where a man was declared dead from natural causes.

Simmons, who had revealed a skin diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculating about his health and well-being. His death was first reported by TMZ.

Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who became a master of many media forms, sharing his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show” and author of best-selling books and the diet plan Deal-A-Meal. He also opened exercise studios and starred exercise videos, including the wildly successful “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” line, which became a cultural phenomenon.

“My food plan and diet are just two words — common sense. With a dash of good humor,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.”

Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, even as he eventually became the butt of jokes for his outfits and flamboyant flair. He was a sought-after guest on TV shows led by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Phil Donahue. But David Letterman would prank him and Howard Stern would tease him until he cried. He was mocked in Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl” on Broadway in 1993, and Eddie Murphy put on white makeup and dressed like him in “The Nutty Professor,” screaming “I’m a pony!”

Asked if he thought he could motivate people by being silly, Simmons answered, “I think there’s a time to be serious and a time to be silly. It’s knowing when to do it. I try to have a nice combination. Being silly cures depression. It catches people off guard and makes them think. But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense. It’s a different kind of training.”

Simmons’ daytime show was seen on 200 stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, “Never Say Diet,” was a smash best-seller.

He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world’s heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons for helping him lose 700 pounds. Simmons put real people — chubby, balding or non-telegenic — in his exercise videos to make the fitness goals seem reachable.

Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans. “There’ll always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed, or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador,” he told the AP in 2005 as the Atkins diet craze swept the country. “If you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you’ll live longer, feel better and look terrific.”

Simmons was a native of New Orleans, a chubby boy named Milton by his parents. (He renamed himself “Richard” around the age of 10 to improve his self-image). He would tell people he ate to excess because he believed his parents liked his older brother more. He was teased by schoolmates and ballooned to almost 200 pounds.

Simmons told the AP his mother watched exercise guru Jack LaLanne’s TV show religiously when he was growing up, but he wasn’t crazy about the fitness fanatic. “I hated him,” Simmons said. “I wasn’t ready for his message because he was fit and he was healthy and he had such a positive attitude, and I was none of those things.”

Simmons went to Italy as a foreign exchange student and ended up doing peanut butter commercials and bacchanalian eating scenes for director Federico Fellini in his film “Fellini Satyricon.” He told the AP: “I was fat, had curly hair. The Italians thought I was hysterical. I was the life of the party.”

His life changed after getting an anonymous letter. “One dark, rainy day I went to my car and found a note. It said, ‘Dear Richard, you’re very funny, but fat people die young. Please don’t die.” He was so stunned that he went on the starvation diet that left him thin but very ill.

After the crash diet he gained back 65 pounds. Eventually, he was able to devise a sensible plan to take off the pounds and keep them off. “I went into the business because I couldn’t find anything I liked,” he said.

When Simmons hadn’t been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house. In telephone interviews with “Entertainment Tonight” and the “Today” show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself. Filmmaker-writer Dan Taberski, one of his regular students, launched a podcast in 2017 called “Missing Richard Simmons.”

In 2022, Simmons broke his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling the New York Post that the beloved fitness icon was “living the life he has chosen.”

One of the online tributes after Simmons’ passing was from actor-comedian Pauly Shore, who previously developed an unauthorized biopic of Simmons, which Simmons objected to at the time.

“I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed,” he began in an Instagram post. “I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens,” adding “You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story.”

___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

___

Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio and Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

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Fitness

This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

Published

7 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

This is the best budget-friendly fitness tracker we have tested this year

Why you can trust Live Science

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re looking to get back into exercising, or are just starting out, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 may be the best fitness tracker for you. This fitness tracker does a great job of tracking your workouts and summarizing the data in an easy-to-understand format, without overcomplicating anything. The interface is user-friendly, and even those who aren’t into tech should be able to navigate around this smartwatch in no time at all.

While this is a budget fitness tracker, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in features. You can do more than just track your workouts with this smart band: you can also track your sleep, stress levels, heart rate and so much more. There’s also no shortage of sports modes — with 150+ to choose from, you’re bound to find the workout you want on this watch.

While the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 has a few features the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 doesn’t, such as underwater real-time heart rate monitoring, running courses and a larger screen, there are also plenty of similarities between the two. Both offer three weeks of battery life, and neither has its own built-in GPS, for a start. But how does the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 perform compared to its predecessor, which we placed in our best budget fitness trackers guide?

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fitness tracker review

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fitness tracker: Design

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 has bezels that are only 2 mm. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Strap is difficult to put on alone
Charger is USB-A – we’d prefer USB-C
Comfortable to wear, day and night

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is a small yet surprisingly well designed fitness tracker. Unlike other smartwatches, with huge watch faces that protrude from your wrist, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is nice and sleek. With a face that measures only 1.72 inches (44 millimeters) diagonally, ultra-thin bezels of just 0.07 inches (2 mm) and a weight of 0.56 ounces (15.95 grams), this fitness tracker is barely noticeable when it’s being worn.

The screen is an AMOLED display and performs well in direct sunlight — not once did we struggle to see the details on the screen in any light. But while the slender screen is a welcome relief from bulkier fitness trackers, we did find the strap rather annoying to put on alone.

Our sample was the Midnight Rose variation and came with a light pink TPU strap, where you need to press the button into the strap. However, due to the strap’s flexibility, it’s hard to tighten the strap and push the button in without losing tightness, and we found it easier to have someone help us. After a while, we managed it alone, but this was frustrating at first.

Saying that, you can change the strap if you find this irritating. There’s a quick-release button on the back, which you can press with a fingernail and release the strap with no fuss. There are many alternative options, including leather, metal and silk knitted straps, as well as the option to turn it into a pendant.

We liked how many watch faces there are for you to download for free on the Mi Fitness App, and there are even more if you are happy to pay a little. This means you can personalize your watch and change things up if, like us, you get bored with the same image as your watch background.

One of the watch face choices on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, showing a floral design in dark colors.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is highly customizable, with many watch faces to choose from. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Specifications

Display: 1.72 in (4.4 cm), AMOLED

Always on: Yes

Dimensions (in): 1.83 x 0.89 x 0.43

Dimensions (mm): 46.57 x 22.54 x 10.95

Weight: 0.56 oz (15.95 g)

Colors: Midnight Black, Glacier Silver, Mystic Rose

Finish: Aluminum

GPS: No (relies on smartphone GPS)

Compass: Yes

Altimeter: No

Water resistance: 5ATM (up to a depth of 50 meters)

NFC Payments: No

Compatibility: Android 8.0 or iOS 14.0 and above

As we’ve already mentioned, the watch face is slender and unobtrusive. There are also no buttons that can be accidentally pressed during mid-workout, or that will interfere if you have your wrist bent in a Pilates, yoga or exercise class, for example. With other fitness trackers we have sometimes found the buttons an irritation during classes, or they have caught on long-sleeve tops. You don’t have this issue with the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, so you can trust your data will be not be ruined by accidental presses.

Apart from our slight irritation with the strap at the start, the only other annoying thing about the design of this watch is that the charger is a standard USB-A connector rather than USB-C. For some, this might not be an issue, but we had to hunt around the house to find a charging plug with a USB port — most other items in our home require USB-C, so receiving a new fitness tracker with what we’d call an outdated port was surprising. This meant we couldn’t easily charge it while at our laptop, for example, which would have been nice.

This is only a minor issue, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re thinking of buying one.

A close-up of the strap design of the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, showing a light pink strap.

Sadly, we found the strap difficult to secure. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fitness tracker: Performance

A close-up of the light pink strap loop of the Xiaomi Smart Band 10.

The loop of the strap started to show signs of discoloration quite early on during testing. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Accurately recorded most health stats
Incredible battery life for a budget tracker
Location tracking performed poorly

Let’s start with some of the basic requirements of a comfortable and reliable fitness tracker. The screen was durable and didn’t mark during a testing period in which we wore it every day for two weeks (plus many other days after this, on and off, mainly because we liked it). There is not a single scratch or mark to be found — impressive for a fitness tracker that only costs a little over $45.

However, the light colored pink TPU strap did start to look a bit dirty, mainly around the loop where the strap slides together. This isn’t very noticeable but there’s a slight color change towards a gray. But, seeing as you can personalize this watch with other straps, this isn’t a huge problem.

Our main negative was the comfort of this watch — we loved the slender screen, but you need to have this watch done up really tight to get it to stay in place. Tightness also aids the accuracy of the stats, but it felt too tight to be comfortable sometimes. When we chose to wear it on the looser notch, this inevitably meant the tracker would slide down our wrist during exercise, sacrificing the accuracy of the data. Of course, it could just be that our wrists were of a size in-between the available notches, and perhaps a different strap would have worked better.

But let’s look at the positives of this amazing budget fitness tracker. The battery life is utterly astounding. We only needed to charge it once in three weeks. That’s two weeks of testing the watch every day and night — we did one form of exercise every day, sometimes two, plus we wore it to bed every night — and then a last week when it was on and off our wrist on an “as and when” basis. That’s incredible battery life and something that astounded us, given this watch’s low price.

A screenshot of the sleep data from the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, taken from the Mi Fitness App.

(Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Another positive aspect of this watch’s performance is related to the sleep tracking. We found it satisfyingly accurate in capturing when we fell asleep and when we woke up, plus any times we were disturbed during the night. The Mi Fitness app provides detailed information, capturing your sleep and wake times, quality of sleep, length of sleep, stages of sleep you experienced and for how long, and your average heart rate. Plus, there is the sleep improvement plan you can do to help improve the quality of your sleep.

However, where the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fell a bit short was on its location tracking. While we didn’t need to know the location of the walks we took with our dog, for example, we noticed the location tracking struggled as soon as we were in the countryside. And when we say countryside, we mean not the middle of nowhere but on the edge of a large town.

Seeing as the Smart Band 10 doesn’t have its own GPS and relies on your smartphone’s GPS, you will not be able to track your runs or walks if you lose phone signal. However, when walking around our local high street or neighbourhood, the smartwatch could locate us accurately.

Aside from this, we thought the Smart Band 10 did a good job of capturing our health stats, including BPM (when stationary and when exercising), max BPM when exercising and the start and end times of our workouts. We had no way of knowing if the calories burned were accurate, but when using the watch during walks, the step counts appeared to be accurate for the length of the walks we did, as did the average pace.

The health stats screen on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, as worn by our reviewer.

We found the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 to be pretty accurate in capturing our health data. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fitness tracker: Functionality

The main menu of the Xiaomi Smart Band 10.

The interface is user-friendly and you will have found your way around the watch in minutes. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Easy-to-use interface
5ATM water resistance
150+ sports modes for every form of exercise

There are so many functions to this fitness tracker that we’re sure it will take you a while to get your head around everything it has to offer. Some functions you will find useful and come back to often, and some you may use once or twice and then forget about.

There is a wealth of data you can capture on this fitness tracker, but the interface itself is easy-to-use, and you’ll be navigating around the watch within minutes. The only thing we found tricky at first was locating where the 150+ sports modes were — some are placed in obvious categories whereas others were hidden.

One clever thing this watch does, though, is that once you’ve located your training or sports mode a few times, it pops it into the menu you first see when clicking on the ‘workout’ tile on the main menu. So, realistically, you only have to go rooting around once or twice — after that, your most-used workouts are just a press away.

The Smart Band 10 has 5ATM water resistance, making it suitable for swimming. Plus, there is now real-time underwater heart rate monitoring, something the Smart Band 9 does not have.

The sports mode options on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10.

Locating your chosen workout can be tricky to start, with but these items then move to your main workout menu. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

While there are many things this watch can do, you can also monitor your stress levels, your oxygen levels and heart rate whenever you feel like it. Not only this, but with every workout you do, the watch can calculate your vitality score and training state, offering personalized recovery times in between your workouts. This will be useful if you are trying to return to fitness and an exercise routine, as well as for those training for a specific purpose, so you don’t end up overdoing it.

For those looking for some guidance on runs, this watch has various running courses you can follow, from basic to advanced. These are easy to locate from the main menu, and once you’ve selected the one you would like to do, the watch gives you guidance on how long to run/walk for, helping you to slowly build your stamina. This is great for those looking to start running, allowing them to pace themselves to avoid overexertion.

One thing this watch lacks is the ability to detect when a workout has ended. This meant that a few times, our data was skewed as we forgot to stop our workout at the end of a class. Sometimes we ended up with data covering the walk back to the car, for example. While this isn’t a huge problem — and understandable for a budget fitness tracker— it’s important to remember to stop the watch whenever you finish working out.

The problem was that we often forgot we had it on in the first place, due to how lightweight it is!

The running course menu on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 has various running courses you can do, from basic to advanced. (Image credit: Kat Bayly)

Should you buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 fitness tracker?

Buy it if:

✅ You want long battery life: Still running at 17% battery after three weeks of use, the Xiaomi has outstanding battery life.

✅ You want an uncomplicated interface: You will be able to navigate around this fitness tracker in minutes.

Don’t buy it if:

❌ Location tracking is a priority: The location tracking on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is very basic, and relies on your smartphone.

❌ You prefer a standard watch design: We loved the sleek design of this fitness tracker but others may prefer a round or larger watch face design.

We loved this budget fitness tracker, which would suit those starting out on their fitness journey, or those who aren’t into tech and want to keep things simple. The interface is easy to navigate, the data and stats are digestible and we could not fault the battery life, which reduced any faff around having to remember to charge it regularly. The watch did a good job of capturing our health data after workouts, and we particularly liked the sleep data and sleep improvement plan. For beginners, the running courses and guidance are a fantastic way of building stamina.

There were a few things we may have changed if we were designing it, such as the strap and charging cable, but these are things others may not have an issue with. Overall this fitness tracker performed well, especially for the price.

If this product isn’t for you

If you want a budget fitness tracker with a larger, squarer screen, the Amazfit Active may suit. Offering a 1.75 inch (4.4 cm) screen, the same water resistance of 5ATM, built-in GPS and 27 days of battery, this is a strong rival to the Xiaomi Smart Band 10.

If a larger screen is a priority for you, the Redmi Watch 5 offers a 2.07 inch (5.3 cm) colorful display.

If you’re a runner, the Garmin Forerunner 165 will provide everything you need to sufficiently track your runs. Plus, being part of the Garmin family means you’ll be getting quality without breaking the bank.

Alternatively, if you have the money to spend, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 may be a good option: we rated it the best for beginners in our best fitness trackers guide, as it offers guided walking workouts.

Fitness

Fitness coach says ‘just cardio isn’t enough’; shares 1 exercise women over 35 must do to stay strong and healthy

Published

19 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

As we age, our bodies naturally start losing muscle mass and bone density, which can affect strength, metabolism, and overall health. Many women over 35 notice changes in energy levels, weight distribution, and endurance, making it essential to adopt exercises that not only tone but also strengthen the body.

Fitness coach urges women over 35 to incorporate strength training. (Freepik)

Tara LaFerrara, fitness coach and personal trainer, shares in her September 22 Instagram post why women over 35 should start incorporating strength training into their routines and how it can transform both body and health. (Also read: Doctor with 25 years experience warns ‘ghee-loaded meals, sugary chai’ harm South Asians’ health; shares 6 key insights )

Why does muscle loss matter after 35

If you are a woman over 35 and not doing any sort of strength training, Tara warns you’re in for a rude awakening. “I’m talking the moment that your body starts to slow down, get weaker, and feel like you hurt more,” she shares.

“It is not just ageing, it is muscle loss, and it starts way earlier than you think. After the age of 35, we start losing muscle every single year. And that muscle is so important because it is your metabolism, your bone density, your energy, and just the ability to bounce back when life throws things at you,” says Tara.

Can cardio and pilates alone keep you strong

She emphasises that cardio and Pilates alone aren’t enough. “You need to lift, squat, push, pull, and press. It’s not about getting bulky and muscular, it’s about getting strong enough to handle ageing on your own terms.”

Her advice is simple: “So if you’re tired of feeling like your body is working against you, start working with it. Pick up some weights. Your future self will thank you.”

Strength training after 35 isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about maintaining health, mobility, and resilience. As Tara highlights, incorporating resistance exercises into your routine is one of the best ways to support your body through the natural changes that come with age.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Fitness

New Year’s Fitness Resolutions Start with Healthy Sleep | Newswise

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

New Year’s Fitness Resolutions Start with Healthy Sleep | Newswise

Newswise — As the New Year approaches, many Americans are setting fresh intentions to eat better and move more — and new data show those habits may deliver an unexpected bonus: better sleep. According to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 59% of adults say eating a well-balanced diet helps them sleep slightly or significantly better. Staying active throughout the day may also help improve sleep. According to the survey, adults say exercising in the morning (42%) or evening (46%) helps them sleep slightly or significantly better.

“Sleep is one of three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, including eating a well-balanced diet and incorporating regular physical activity,” said AASM spokesperson Dr. Kin Yuen. “When people make New Year’s resolutions or select their ‘nudge word’ for the year, they often prioritize diet and exercise. These changes don’t just support physical health—they also improve sleep.”

The findings suggest that New Year’s resolutions don’t need to be isolated goals. Improving one aspect of health, whether diet, exercise, or sleep, can create positive ripple effects across all three areas of wellness. This is especially true for younger adults, with those 25-34 being the most likely age group to say a well-balanced diet (64%) or exercise in the evening (60%) helps them sleep better.

“Sufficient sleep significantly reduces the risk of chronic illnesses, such as obesity, heart disease, and even depression and anxiety,” said Yuen. “Whether you’re improving your diet, increasing your activity level, or managing stress, prioritizing sleep gives you the energy and mental clarity needed to start the year strong.”

Here are some tips from the AASM on how to develop healthy sleep habits and reap all the benefits of your New Year’s resolutions:

Create a consistent bedtime routine — Make sure you are giving yourself enough time to get the recommended seven or more hours of sleep per night.
Make time in your daily routine for physical activity — Pick physical activities that you enjoy and that match your abilities.
Eat a well-balanced diet — Try to meet the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, grains, and protein.
Disconnect from devices at night — Turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes to an hour before your bedtime to help prepare for sleep.

For more information, or to find a local AASM-accredited sleep center, please visit sleepeducation.org. View 2025 AASM Sleep Prioritization Survey results in the AASM newsroom.

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About the Survey

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine commissioned an online survey of 2,007 adults in the U.S. The overall margin of error fell within +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between June 5-13, 2025, by Atomik Research, an independent market research agency.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).