Richard Simmons, American fitness trainer and actor
Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons (born July 12, 1948) is an American fitness personality and public figure, known for his eccentric, flamboyant, and energetic personality. He has promoted weight-loss programs, most prominently through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos.
Simmons began his weight-loss career by opening his gym Slimmons in Beverly Hills, California, catering to the overweight, and he became widely known through exposure on television and through the popularity of his consumer products. He is often parodied and was a frequent guest of late night television and radio talk shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show.
He continued to promote health and exercise through a decades-long career and later broadened his activities to include political activism – such as in 2008 in support of a bill mandating non-competitive physical education in public schools as a part of the No Child Left Behind Act.By March 2016, after his retreat from the public since February 2014, speculation and expressions of concern about his well-being began to surface in the media. Both Simmons and his publicist said the concerns were unwarranted as he simply chose to be less publicly visible.During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Simmons began to upload archival content to his YouTube channel (recorded before his decision to withdraw from public life) to help people stay fit at home.