Fitness
US fitness guru Richard Simmons dies aged 76
![US fitness guru Richard Simmons dies aged 76](https://www.expressandstar.com/resizer/CxKVj-Dvz7rgkIe-LGCMBH9Owhk=/1200x899/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mna/YYN4MIG6SNDZTBHSJPBQ6QXE6Q.jpg)
US TV fitness guru Richard Simmons has died a day after his 76th birthday.
Famously hyperactive, he built a mini-empire in trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better.
Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, his publicist, Tom Estey, said in an email to the Associated Press. He gave no further details.
Los Angeles police and fire departments said they responded to a house where a man was declared dead from natural causes.
Simmons, who revealed in March that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, had recently dropped out of sight, sparking speculation about his health and wellbeing. His death was first reported by TMZ.
As a teenager, Simmons weighed more than 19 stone but went on to become 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 in exercise videos, including the hugely 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 humour,” he told the Associated Press in 1982. “I want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.”
![Richard Simmons](https://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/2013/08/25/e817acea3966441988d4438879e751a4.jpg?w=640)
Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, despite becoming 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 make-up 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 said: “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.”
![Richard Simmons](https://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/1999/03/27/c11aa22aea85470984ae07aedcb05fc8.jpg?w=640)
Simmons’ daytime show was seen on 200 TV stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, Never Say Diet, was a 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 700lb (50 stone).
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.”
![Richard Simmons](https://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/1982/06/23/a2b55f9faa9d4291891b5b741ac1fa9f.jpg?w=640)
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 around 14 stone (200lb).
Simmons told the AP his mother watched exercise guru Jack LaLanne’s TV show religiously when he was growing up, but he was not keen on the fitness fanatic.
“I hated him,” he 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 adverts 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 receiving 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 said he was so stunned that he went on a starvation diet that left him thin but very ill.
![Richard Simmons](https://content.assets.pressassociation.io/AP/1984/08/02/28499993fe6441bfbe95b3a29f7cfb4f.jpg?w=640)
After the crash diet, he regained four-and-a-half stone (65lb), but 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 had not 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.
Film-maker/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 spokesman telling the New York Post that the beloved fitness star was “living the life he has chosen”.
One of the online tributes after Simmons’ death was from actor-comedian Pauly Shore, who previously developed an unauthorised 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 said in an Instagram post.
“I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens … You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story.”
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Fitness
Valley gym focusing on exercise for all abilities
![Valley gym focusing on exercise for all abilities](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/15061828_071524-kfsn-3p-adapted-athlete-vid.jpg?w=1600)
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — 14-year-old Colin is getting a workout in with Coach Jessica.
Adapted Athlete is an expansion of Train Like a Girl studio. The nonprofit works with individuals impacted by mental, physical and cognitive challenges.
“Having them in my life has given me immense joy, acceptance and it’s taught me a lot about myself,” says Executive Director Nikki Scholl.
Scholl says supporting families of all abilities came naturally as the gym’s mission is to promote body positivity, diversity and inclusivity.
“It came to us, we ran with it and it’s been the most beautiful part of our program,” she said.
Adapted Athlete offers group workout sessions and private training.
Thanks to state funding, Adapted Athlete was able to expand to a second location, have modified equipment and have expanded to sports camps.
“In the last year, we started doing football, basketball, cheer and it’s all-inclusive and integrated into our program,” Scholl said.
Along this three-year journey to provide quality training in adaptive fitness, Scholl teamed up with Inclusive Fitness — which focuses on one-on-one training — to enhance the program.
“It’s a really small community that often gets overlooked, so it’s really nice to come together to spread the word about what we offer, especially for adults with disabilities and kids with disabilities,” says Jacqi Vargas with Inclusive Fitness.
To get the word out about their health and wellness programs, both organizations partnered with “Able Inc.” — which provides resources including life skills, employment and community integration for people with disabilities.
“No more hiding in the background — we want our consumers out in the front,” says James Alves with Able Inc.
For news updates, follow Vanessa Vasconcelos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Fitness
Jessica Alba's workouts are tailored to her 'bad knees'
![Jessica Alba's workouts are tailored to her 'bad knees'](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_social_share_1200x630_center,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/jessica-alba-cz-240715-1adf62.jpg)
From “Dark Angel” to “Trigger Warning,” Jessica Alba has never shied away from fierce acting roles that challenge her to up the ante on her workout routine.
In fact, she credits one of her breakout roles with igniting her passion for fitness.
“I attribute my athletic body to the martial arts, gymnastics, dance, and strength training I did while filming ‘Dark Angel.’ That’s made me strong and really set the bar,” she previously told Shape, per PopSugar.
While promoting her role in “Mechanic: Resurrection” on TODAY in 2016, the star told Savannah Guthrie she’s dabbled in “a bunch of different disciplines in martial arts” over the years, including Krav Maga.
In her daily life, Alba’s workouts aren’t quite as intense, but they’re still pretty hardcore. As a result, the star has some practical advice for anyone who’s hoping to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle.
“If you can just do it two or three times a week, a little bit of exercise whether it’s yoga or going for a walk or cycling class or something…go for it,” she previously told E! News.
Ready to learn from Alba’s passionate, yet practical approach to fitness? Here’s everything she’s said about her workout routine.
She knows working out ‘sucks’ but still gets herself to the gym
Working out gives you great endorphins but it can be miserable at times, and Alba is the first to admit it.
“I’m not going to lie. Working out sucks. Which is why I love taking classes, because I’m surrounded by other people and that keeps me motivated and accountable,” she told Shape in 2015, per PopSugar.
Alba described the process of working out as “agonizing” while chatting with Extra and said she could think of “anything else” she’d rather do than exercise.
“I’ve figured out now certain things that I like to do and it’s actually become kind of a stress reliever,” she said.
She loves ‘high intensity’ workouts
Alba’s workouts aren’t for the faint of heart. The star previously told Cosmopolitan she prefers to challenge herself and opt for “high energy” and “high intensity” sweat sessions.
“For me it really is about how I feel after I exercise so I’m motivated to do it. I do it for my mental state, to clear my head,” she said.
She’s a fan of hot yoga
Alba has expressed her love for hot yoga on multiple occasions.
“I like to do hot yoga and sculpt yoga,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 2016.
While sharing her morning routine with Self the same year, Alba revealed that she liked to check yoga off her to-do list early on in the day.
“A couple times a week, I wake up at 5:15 for hot yoga class. I need a really good alarm and a strong coffee,” she said.
In 2024, Alba’s personal trainer Ramona Braganza told Shape her client also enjoys Iyengar yoga, which focuses on holding poses longer.
“(She) finds it very beneficial for stretching her body out,” Braganza said.
She’s a cycling devotee
Alba has also been known to wake up bright and early to attend a Soul Cycle class or do an at-home cycling workout.
“I also do spin classes with my friends. I find that working out with my friends to really fun music is, in a way, a meditation,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
She prioritizes strength training
Alba wants to stay strong, but she’s not looking to be a bodybuilder, so she makes it a priority to find time for strength training with “moderate weight,” per Braganza.
“She prefers upper body more than legs,” she told Shape, adding the Alba enjoys weighted slam balls.
She loves to bust a move
Dancing isn’t only fun. It’s actually a great workout. Alba has showcased her killer moves on social media on many occasions and told Women’s Health she adores dance classes.
“That’s fun. Like hip hop class, mixed with like core Pilates-type exercises,” she said.
She does whatever she can to avoid feeling ‘bored’ at the gym
While chatting with E! News in June 2024, Alba admitted that she tends to get sick of her workouts rather quickly.
“I get bored,” she said. “So I do spinning and I do cross training with a mix of weights and cardio. I just try to keep it moving.”
She adjusts her workouts for her problem areas
There’s no one-size-fits-all workout, especially when you’re dealing with knee issues. Just ask Alba, who admitted that she adjusts some exercises to be kinder to her knees.
“30 min cardio -when you you only have 30 min to get it in💪🏽💦 -check out my stories to get my 30 min interval treadmill cardio. I have bad knees so the incline and treadmill is the only way I can,” she captioned an Instagram post in 2018.
Alba’s trainer told Shape, osteoporosis is a concern for the star and said they adjust their workouts together to account for that.
“We focus on overhead exercises using resistance, which helps increase bone density,” she said.
She eats healthy during the week and indulges on the weekend
Alba has a pretty balanced approach to eating that leaves room for healthy foods and splurges.
“Four days a week, I try to eat plant-based, and I don’t drink alcohol,” she told Women’s Health in 2020. “Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all bets are off. That feels like moderation to me.”
She knows that diet and exercise go hand in hand
Even the best workout routine won’t do much in the long run if you don’t focus on eating healthy as well, so Alba tries to prioritize both diet and exercise.
“With exercise, I get a little more toned and I definitely feel stronger, but my diet is much more important if I’m trying to slim down,” she told Shape, per Us Weekly. “In that case, I usually don’t eat gluten, dairy, fried foods or processed foods. I try to stick to a diet that’s low in sugar and carbs, and high in lean protein and vegetables.”
She felt more comfortable in her skin after becoming a mother
Everyone deals with body insecurities, including Alba. These days she’s comfortable in her own skin, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, she told Cosmo UK that becoming a mother helped her feel more confident.
“As a teenager — and even in my 20s — I always saw the negative and didn’t focus on the positive, and then I felt like being part of something so life-altering and profound like having a child just made me feel differently about it all. I also thought ‘how do I want my girls to feel about their bodies?’ I don’t want them to have certain hang-ups, so my attitude to myself shifted,” she said in 2015.
Alba also practices gratitude to remind herself how lucky she is that her body takes such good care of her.
“I love my shape because it does what I want it to,” she told Shape, per Us Weekly. “If I want to go on a hike or a bike ride or go for a swim, I know my body will do everything I tell it to. I also appreciate that I can push myself through when I’m feeling tired. There’s always a little extra something to get me past the tired moments.”
She doesn’t beat herself up when she misses a workout
As a mom and entrepreneur, Alba’s schedule is jam-packed at all times, so she doesn’t always find time to squeeze in a workout. And that’s OK with her.
“I always thought, ‘I need to sweat out my weight in water, I need to have muscle failure, I need to feel like I just ran a marathon—that’s how hard I needed to work out,” she previously told Women’s Health.
These days, Alba is kinder to herself when she doesn’t smash her fitness goals.
“I’ve learned to mix it up and not feel like a failure if I’m not, you know, killing myself,” she said.
Fitness
Full list of bizarre fitness fads revealed as Brits turn on traditional gyms
![Full list of bizarre fitness fads revealed as Brits turn on traditional gyms](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/000-adults-polled-one-10-917238186.jpg?strip=all&quality=100&w=1920&h=1080&crop=1)
FOUR in 10 Brits have shunned traditional exercise methods – to get their fitness in weird and wonderful ways.
Of the 2,000 adults polled, one in 10 have taken part in trampoline fitness, where you combine cardio and strength exercises while bouncing up and down.
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While others have played football encased in a giant inflatable bubble or attempted stand up paddle boarding – with a dog.
And 12 per cent would be keen to give a hula-hoop-based fitness class a spin – literally.
It also emerged 51 per cent claim they get ‘bored’ of going to the gym or running and want their workouts to be more fun.
Foxy Bingo commissioned the research to launch its ‘Xtreme Line Dancing Studio’ in Birmingham on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July.
Sara Jolly, from the brand, said: “It’s clear people are looking for unusual ways to exercise beyond the gym – to shake up their routine and stay motivated by keeping things fun.”
Other odd exercises Brits have tried include bungee fitness, which involves being strung up from the ceiling by bungee ropes.
While one in 20 have attempted to use the urban landscape as part of their cardio workout, via a spot of Parkour.
The most common form of working out is cardio like running or cycling (32 per cent) followed by strength training (25 per cent).
And 26 per cent describe their exercise routine as either neutral, or downright unenjoyable.
But 36 per cent said music or some kind of entertainment makes exercise more enjoyable for them.
While 28 per cent get more out of it if they’re able to work out with friends, according to the OnePoll.com figures.
It also emerged 49 per cent only exercise for the health benefits, and not because they actually like doing it.
And two thirds are more likely to stick with a fitness routine if it’s fun and engaging.
The research also found most like to get their exercise out of the way in the morning (45 per cent), with just 19 per cent preferring an evening workout.
And 53 per cent like fitness classes that contain some dance elements.
Sara Jolly said: “The Studio will combine the fun of line dancing with the fitness benefits of a circuits session to help you feel energised for the weekend ahead.
“Our research found lots of people have actually tried a line dancing class already, but they won’t have done one like this.
“So we can’t wait to see how many people sign up and come along to the Xtreme Line Dancing Studio to get their cowboy or cowgirl boogie on – and burn off a few calories to some country and western tunes.”
TOP 20 ODD WORKOUTS BRITS HAVE TRIED
1. Line Dancing
A choreographed dance in which a group of people get into lines and dance along to a repeating sequence of steps
2. Hula Hooping
Using weighted hula hoops for a full-body workout
3. Trampoline Fitness
High-energy workouts on a trampoline, combining cardio and strength exercises
4. Parkour
An activity involving running, jumping, and climbing over urban obstacles
5. Fencing
A sport involving swordplay
6. Bubble football
Playing football while encased in a large inflatable bubble
7. Tough Mudder Training
Obstacle course race training involving mud, walls, and other challenges
8. Pole Fitness
Strength and flexibility workouts using a vertical pole
9. Zumba Sentao
A variation of Zumba using a chair for resistance and support
10. Paddleboard Yoga
Performing yoga on a stand-up paddleboard, requiring balance and core strength
11. Cardio Drumming
High-energy drumming on exercise balls to the beat of music
12. Bungee Fitness
Combining cardio and strength training while being attached to bungee cords
13. AcroYoga
A combination of yoga and acrobatics performed with a partner
14. Kangoo Jumps
Cardio workouts using special rebound shoes with springs
15. Slacklining
Balancing and performing tricks on a narrow, flexible webbing suspended between two points
16. Roller Derby
A full-contact sport played on roller skates
17. Aerial Yoga
Yoga while suspended in the air
18. Stand up paddle-boarding
With a dog
19. Capoeira
A Brazilian martial art combining dance, acrobatics, and music
20. Krav Maga
A self-defence system combining martial arts techniques
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