There was no mistaking beloved fitness icon Richard Simmons.
From his puffy hair, to his flamboyant outfits, to his loud personality, Simmons was one of a kind.
Simmons passed away over the weekend, just one day after his 76th birthday.
Simmons created a fitness empire beginning in the 1970s that included videos, classes, books, products, infomercials, his own show and plenty of TV appearances.
He made more than 65 fitness videos, such as “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” that sold over 20 million copies.
Born Milton Teagle Richard Simmons, in New Orleans, he described himself as a compulsive eater as a young boy. Others bullied and made fun of him because of his weight.
During an interview with NPR, Simmons said “I grew up without any physical education. I was 200 pounds in the eighth grade. And when I graduated high school I was almost 300 pounds. I was a very … unhappy, bewildered teenager who couldn’t figure out what I wanted in life and why I had such a strong relationship with food.”
Simmons said part of his journey included trying that diets and laxatives, but eventually adopted “a lifestyle of balance, moderate eating and exercise.” His focus became making exercise fun for all types of bodies.
Simmons’ philosophy was simple. He preached positivity, portion control and moving your body for at least 30 minutes every day. That message resonated with people who didn’t see themselves in the traditional world of fitness.
Simmons’ workout style was upbeat and welcoming. In a commercial for one of his popular “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” videos, he enthused, “If you’re looking for a lively, entertaining, stimulating, humorous, colorful, frolicking, playful, inspiring, safe, low-impact workout that’s full of kicks, thrills, gusto, fervor, passion, fury, bustle and action you don’t have to look any further. This is it!”