Throwback week continues tonight with Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies! I made a last minute decision to skip pilates and do a Richard Simmons workout tonight after receiving a couple recommendations for Richard Simmons. I will be completely honest – I had Richard Simmons confused with Little Richard LOL. Imagine my surprise when I looked him up on Youtube HA! I looked through a couple of his videos and was definitely into it!
One of my friends insisted that Sweatin’ to the Oldies was a MUST! I went on the hunt and thought Sweatin’ to the Oldies 3 looked awesome However, my friend said it was just not the same as Sweatin’ to the Oldies 1. After searching all over Amazon Prime to find it, I was ready to give up and go back to the third one. My friend protested that Sweatin’ to the Oldies 1 was really what I needed on a Friday night and even offered up her prime account (since she had previously downloaded it). I was excited to see what all the hype was about!
Wait, tell me more about Richard Simmons
Like I said – I thought he was Little Richard HA! Richard Simmons grew up in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He was an overweight child who suffered a lot of bulling for his appearance. Richard Simmons lost a lot of weight before moving out to LA in the 70s. He found the most gyms out there were for people who were already in shape, not people looking to start their own fitness journey. He opened his own studio, Slimmons, in 1974 with the dream of creating a safe space for those looking to eat healthier, feel healthier, start working out, and lose weight. Richard Simmons has a massive personality and he makes all of his workouts a true show.
Sweatin’ to the Oldies 1 - worth the hunt?
I was dedicated to the cause for this workout. Honestly once it got started I was hooked. I sang along to almost all of the songs and just had an ABSOLUTE BLAST dancing around my apartment. I am sure my neighbors loved it too, oops! I haven’t danced in over 10 years, but this video brought back all my favorite songs from dance class (It’s my Party!) and a lot of my favorite moves. I found this class very easy to follow along compared to some of the others.
Richard Simmons has so much personality and made every song fun. He included a warm up and even a choreographed cool down to Aint No Mountain High Enough (another one of my faves). Every second of this video was great. He even included a pulse check for everyone to take a quick breather. I loved that his backup dancers were of all shapes and sizes. I didn’t do my Richard Simmons research until after – but at the end of the workout video it showed everyone’s name with how much weight they had lost. I am truly inspired by the community Richard Simmons created throughout his career and how much of an impact he made on so many people.
I need to do this then?
Overall Rating: If you are looking for a FUN workout where you can dance along and just have a lighthearted workout, this is for you! I have never smiled so much working out. I appreciated the low impact aerobics, the music selection, and the dance moves.
Unfortunately the coveted Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies 1 isn’t available for just anyone to watch. You can always buy the DVD on amazon for the first one! You can catch Sweatin’ to the Oldies 3 for a similar workout: https://www.youtube.com/sweatin-to-the-oldies-3
Let me know if you try this one and love it as much as I do!
xoxo
Krysta
PS – I forgot to mention that this class is from 1988! Truly a winner even 33 years later!
PPS – If you are looking for another FUN workout, checkout last night’s Jazzercise Fit and Physical!
