aerobics will never be the same

Ever dreamed of working out with Richard Simmons? Well, your dream can become a reality at Slimmons. (And no, this photo isn't produced by Photoshop magic, this is the real deal.) Lindsey, Kent's little sister, and our friends, Lindsay and Jessie Turner, thought it would be a good idea to head to Beverly Hills to take an aerobics class with the one, the only, Mr. Richard Simmons.

Suffice it to say, it was probably the most entertaining, high energy workout session I've ever had. Did I break a sweat? You bet. Did I come out of that class wanting to be a better person? Definitely. Do I want Kent to start dressing like Richard? No way. But Richard Simmons is a good man. A little bizarre, but he genuinely wants people to be healthy and feel great about themselves.

Highlights (in no particular order):

1. Richard's outfit: Tiny, black and white striped polyester shorts coupled with a black, rhinestone-flowered, tank top. And of course, there were skin-colored nylons, white socks and white tennis shoes. Classic. It actually made the workout that much better seeing a sparkly flower on Richard's back. How could that not make someone happy?

2. The record player: Richard played a few of the songs on a vinyl record player. You just don't see those very often and it was so fitting. His prime was in the late 70s and 80s and it seemed natural he would use records.

3. My favorite song selections: "All or Nothing" by Cher. We all stood in a big circle when the Cher song came on and Richard would grab random people to lead the class with him. So fantastic.




"The Galop" (or Can-can music) by Jacques Offenbach. We all held hands and did a Richard Simmons rendition of the Can-can. I never knew that holding the sweaty hands of strangers whilst doing the grapevine and kicking could be so fun.



4. Richard's assistant: She was the nicest, most normal person ever. She signed us in and participated in the class. She wore nylons like Richard. I'm wondering if I need to start wearing nylons when I work out.

5. Richard's advice: He gave a lot of dating advice, which I didn't need, but thought was funny, albeit little over the top, but what I really loved was his advice at the end of class. We all sat on our mats and Richard told us to look at the proverbial glass half-full instead of half-empty and to be grateful for what we had. He also said the first 4 minutes of awakeness can set the tone for the rest of the day. And you know what? It made me want to make those 4 minutes better.

Before going into the class, our friend said, "This is one of those things that needs to be on every person's Top 100 Things To Do Before You Die list," and I completely agree. It was just so fun and ultimately, inspiring. Happiness came to me in the form of a $12 workout with Richard Simmons and friends on an overcast Saturday morning this weekend.


Next time, I'm bringing Kent.