Learning About the Life of Richard Simmons

     There are millions of people out there in the world who want to lose weight. They may need to lose a couple pounds off the waist or two hundred pounds so that they can actually survive and be healthy.

Because there are so many people that want to lose weight, there have been countless methods invented to do just that. Each person may like a different way than the next person.

Some people might like running or jogging outside. They might prefer the fresh air that they can breathe in and the scenery of their neighborhood that they can admire.

Others might like the high-energy, social atmosphere of the gym. They like to either jump on a treadmill or elliptical and get their cardiovascular fix while meeting others.

Whatever the way to exercise, it is definitely gaining more and more popularity each day; and there are literally hundreds of personal trainers and fitness gurus out there that claim to have the secret to personal fitness.

One of the most famous fitness gurus in the whole world is Richard Simmons. You might not recognize the name, but you would definitely recognize him if you saw him.

He is famous for his flamboyant personality and the clothes that he wears. Usually, he wears striped shorts with a diamond-studded tank top!

Although he might be a little eccentric, he has built an empire around his fitness techniques and tools. He is one of the premier personal trainers for the entire world.

So who exactly is the man behind the sequined tank top? Let's take a look at the history of this interesting fitness guru.

Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the younger of two sons. His parents were in show business.

Contrary to what some people think of him, Simmons actually used to be very obese during his childhood. When he graduated high school, he was 268 pounds.

While working at a Beverly Hills restaurant in the 1970s, Richard became interested in fitness. He wanted to shed all those pounds that he had gained over his youth.

But when he looked all the diets and fitness centers of the day, he became disgusted with them. He noticed that all these things were catered to already thin people, and that there was nowhere where obese people could be motivated to lose weight.

After he lost 123 pounds himself, Simmons opened up his own exercise studio. It was called the Anatomy Asylum, and focused on enjoyable exercise and healthy eating.

The studio even had a salad restaurant built into it so that customers could practice healthy eating habits. Over the years, the studio's name was changed to Simmons, and it still in operation today.

His studio was such a success that he eventually gained notoriety in the media. He made appearances on several television shows, and even landed a recurring role on the hit soap opera General Hospital.

In the early 1980s, he landed two of his own television shows. One was called Slim Cookin' and the other was called The Richard Simmons show, which was a talk show that focused on fitness and health.

Since that time, he has made many television appearances, either on legitimate television fitness shows or on other shows such as sitcoms or talk shows. His influence continues to grow as more and more generations of Americans learn about him.

One of the reasons why Simmons became so popular over the years was because of the personal touch that he added to his persona. Simmons is very connected to the people that he helps.

He started out by personally responding to every fan email or letter he received while playing on General Hospital. To this day, he still responds to the fan mail that he receives.

He also has a personal website to which he chats with users on a weekly basis. He likes to interact and talk to the people that he helps.

As of today, Simmons lives alone in the Hollywood Hills with his dogs and maids. He has never married and apparently doesn't have a lot of close friends.

So there you have it! Those are some quick facts about one of the most interesting men in the fitness world.

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