Richard Simmons Is Fit & Still Smiling At 72 Years Old

Jun 28, 2021 by apost team

There are few public figures with as much flamboyant positivity as Richard Simmons. He was born Milton Teagle Simmons in 1948 and is best known for his work as a personal fitness personality. Simmons is also an accomplished author and has written 12 books on health, fitness, and wellness. 

His books share a message of positivity and encouragement that has always been in alignment with Simmons' work and personality. Some may say Simmons is as well known for his energetic and infectious energy as he is for his fitness advice. 

Simmons' workout tapes and videos were extremely popular in the 1980s and 90s, and his most popular series, "Sweatin' to the Oldies," has seen a resurgence in popularity during the pandemic lockdown as more people are working out from home than ever before. 

Despite officially retiring from the public in 2016, Simmons' work still lives on and has inspired a new generation. Beginning in 2020, Simmons began uploading archival content to his YouTube channel for audiences to access for free. This shows his continued dedication to helping others stay fit. This is only one of many selfless acts Simmons has done throughout his life and career.

Simmons' dedication to the health and wellbeing of others was also exemplified when he advocated for non-competitive physical education to be taught in schools. He was a large supporter of the No Child Left Behind Act and The Strengthening Physical Education Act of 2007. Simmons was also an activist after Hurricane Katrina and did several public interviews to raise awareness about the destruction in his home state of Louisiana. 

Now, Simmons is retired and enjoys a slower lifestyle with his dog. Read on to learn more about Simmons' life and how he keeps off the pounds at age 72.

Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 12, 1948. He is the son of Leonard Douglas Simmons Sr. and Shirley May, who were also in show business. The family lived in the French Quarter, where Simmons' father was a master of ceremonies, and his mother was a fan dancer. 

In his early childhood and adolescence, Simmons became overweight and struggled with obesity. This began around the age of 4, and by the time he was 5, Simmons knew there was a negative connotation to being overweight, according to People Magazine. At the age of 15, he weighed 182-pounds and would eventually reach a peak of 268-pounds. 

Later in life, Simmons converted to Catholicism and attended Cor Jesu High School. He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's degree in Art. As an art student, Simmons was featured as one of the "freak show" characters in Federico Fellini's films "Satyricon" and "The Clowns." According to the Tampa Bay Times, Simmons' college tuition was paid for by an uncle named Richard, and so he decided to go by the name Richard professionally to honor him. 

Simmons' first job was selling pralines as a child at a store named Leah's Pralines in New Orleans, reports the Tahoe Daily Tribune. In the 1970s, he moved to Los Angeles and began working as a maître d'hôtel at a restaurant in Beverly Hills called Derek's. 

Fitness Career

After moving to Los Angeles, Simmons began to show an interest in fitness. Unfortunately, exercise studios at that time were not interested in helping unfit people lose weight; instead, they only wanted perfect-looking clientele. This made Simmons' mission to get healthy a little more challenging.   

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In his memoir, "Still Hungry After All These Years: My Story," Simmons explains that he ended up opening his own gyms, and with hard work, he was able to lose 123-pounds. Later, he opened his own high-end exercise studio called The Anatomy Asylum, before the name was changed to Slimmons. The exercise studio focused on healthy eating and originally had a salad bar restaurant called Ruffage, though it was later removed as the studio's focus shifted to solely exercise. 

The Slimmons studio was known for its dedication to fun and enjoyable exercise in a supportive atmosphere, which very much aligns with Simmons' personal philosophy. He also taught aerobics and motivational classes there during the week. Sadly, the establishment closed in 2016 after Simmons' decision to leave the public eye. 

According to an episode of the Dr. Oz Show from 2010, Simmons was able to keep off his 123-pound weight loss for 42 years. Dr. Oz also said that Simmons has been helping others lose weight for 35 years, and the combined weight loss of all of those people would be around 12-million-pounds. The internet has been a huge factor in helping Simmons reach so many people. Outside of his social media accounts, Simmons also has his own membership-based website that brings his workouts to people all over the world. 

Media Attention

Simmons first rose to fame when he appeared on the reality TV show "Real People." The premise of the series was to showcase the lives of real people, meaning no celebrities who have unique hobbies or interests. When Simmons was on the show he introduced customers he had helped lose weight and shared what it was like to run a popular health club. 

After "Real People" aired, Simmons began receiving positive attention from viewers and went on to make guest appearances on a number of popular game shows. Some of the shows he was featured on include "Battlestars," "Body Language," "Hollywood Squares," and "The Price is Right." His popularity would also land him a four-year recurring guest role on the show "General Hospital," where he played himself.

In the early 1980s, Simmons was the host of two popular television series. The first was "Slim Cookin'," and it focused on personal wellbeing, exercise routines, and healthy recipes for cooking at home. The other series was a talk show called "The Richard Simmons Show," and it was a critical success. The show earned Simmons an Emmy Award and drew in thousands of exercise lovers. It ran for four years and ended in 1984. 

Simmons continued to make frequent guest appearances on many TV shows, including interviews on "The Howard Stern Show" and "Late Night With David Letterman." Letterman and Simmons had a falling out after a prank involving a fire extinguisher caused Simmons to have an asthma attack. However, the pair made up, and Simmons began to appear on Letterman's show again as a regular guest.

At times the constant media attention could begin to feel like too much for Simmons. In a 2012 interview with Men's Health, Simmons said, "When the king gets depressed, he doesn't call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester 'make me laugh.' And I am that court jester."

In 2016, the Los Angeles Police Department paid a visit to Simmons' estate after claims were made that he was being imprisoned in his home by those closest to him. After speaking with Simmons directly, the police determined that he was completely safe and the claims were false.

LAPD detective Kevin Becker told the Huffington Post, "There was something about his housekeeper holding him hostage and not allowing people to see him and preventing him from making phone calls. None of it is true. The fact of the matter is, we went out and talked to him, he is fine, nobody is holding him hostage. He is doing exactly what he wants to do. If he wants to go out in public or see anybody, he will do that."

Becker added, "He is perfectly fine and he is very happy. I don't know what he is going to do, but right now he is doing what he wants to do and it is his business."

CNN reported that Simmons spoke up for himself and said, "No one is holding me in my house as a hostage. You know I do what I want to do as I've always done, so people should sort of just believe what I have to say because, like, I'm Richard Simmons!" 

The public began taking the allegations seriously because Simmons' former masseur and assistant, Mauro Oliveira, gave a statement to the New York Daily News:

"I feel that Richard is now being controlled by the very people that he controlled his whole life. Controlled in the sense that they are taking advantage of his weak mental state. Controlled in the sense that they are controlling his mail, controlling his everything. His brother, the manager and Teresa (Reveles, Simmons' live-in housekeeper). Those three people."

Simmons explained why no one has seen him in public since 2014. "I just sort of wanted to be a little bit of a loner for a little while. You know, I had hurt my knee, and I had some problems with it, and then the other knee started giving me trouble because I've taught thousands and thousands of classes, and you know right now I just want to sort of take care of me," Simmons told The Today Show.

Simmons ended his interview with the Today Show on a positive note, as always. "For all the people that were worrying about me, I want to tell them that I love them with my whole heart and soul and that not to worry, Richard's fine. You haven't seen the last of me. I'll come back, and I'll come back strong," Simmons said.

Staying Fit at 72

Simmons has made his living on motivating others to stay fit, so it makes sense that the same motivation is applied to his own health. "One day I'll tone—chest, back, and shoulders—and the next day it's biceps and triceps. I also do 45 minutes of cardio every day. I do that before I even leave the house," Simmons told Men's Health in an interview from 2012.

Simmons went into detail about why working out in the morning works for him. "For my workout, I'm up at 4 a.m. I say my prayers, count my blessings, and I work out right away, I just get it done…I work out when my housekeepers and my 16-year-old dog, Hattie—she's a Dalmatian—are asleep. I just get it done. If I don't take care of myself, if I don't feel good about myself, how can I help others?"

The fitness guru has endless advice for staying fit. "There was always some new powder or diet plan that somebody wanted to put my name on. Anything that had to do with quick weight loss. I just don't believe in that stuff. There is no magic milkshake or workout machine. I think the real machine is your body. I do love treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and free weights. But like I say to my students, 'If you want to get the body you've always dreamed of, you have to earn it,'" Simmons told Men's Health.

Simmons has remained positive and endlessly inspiring since he began his career. "Who are you competing against? It's you. You need to be doing this for you and only you. Not to win a car, not to stay at a fancy resort, not to get a treadmill or an elliptical for your home. The real pride, the real present, is your health and your longevity," said Simmons. He looks great for 72, so he must be doing something right!

According to Simmons, diet is just as important as exercise when it comes to staying healthy. Simmons said in the same interview, "There's a list of foods I can't have in the house. Peanut butter, can't have that in the house. Potato chips, can't have that in the house. Random little small mini candy bars, don't even think about it."

According to Simmons, the secret to good health in your 70s is positivity. "I'm not one who truly lives in the past. I have baggage, just like everyone has their baggage," he told Men's Health. "But I really attack the present. I plan for the future, but the only day I really worry about is the day I'm living right now."

Richard Simmons has had a long, successful, and now quiet life. What do you think of his decision to stay out of the public eye? Have you ever tried any of his workout routines? Let us know what you think, and be sure to pass this story on to your friends and family.