Fitness Instructor Admits She Used To Mock Her Mom For Working Out To Richard Simmons

Recently, a fitness expert, Sarah Garone disclosed that she used to poke fun at her mom during her childhood years because her mother worked out to Richard Simmons’, “Sweatin to the Oldies.” However, she stated that she realized her ignorance ever since she stumbled on the song during one of her training sessions.

“When I was growing up in the Blockbuster Video-era 1980s, my family owned just a handful of VHS tapes. Among “E.T.” and a dusty old copy of “Singin’ in the Rain” was my mom’s go-to workout video: Richard Simmons’ original “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” the fitness expert revealed. “In this goofy low-impact dance routine, the frizzy-haired, endlessly ebullient Simmons and a ragtag gang of all shapes and sizes moved and grooved to hits from the ’50s and ’60s. I thought it was the cheesiest thing I’d ever seen.”

Journey to becoming a fitness expert

The instructor revealed that her mom was an avid fitness enthusiast, but she didn’t really buy into the idea even though she also participated in her sessions. “Though I’d occasionally join my mom in a few shimmies or grapevines, the older I got, the more ridiculous the tape seemed — Simmons’ maudlin antics, the dated music, the high-school-reunion theme,” he said. “The whole brand of cheeky silliness seemed, as my own kids now say, ‘cringe.’ Since I couldn’t care less about fitness at that time in my life, it was only fodder for derision.”

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However, her love for fitness grew when she participated in a Yoga therapy session which motivated her to learn more about staying healthy. “Over the years I’ve turned into something of an avid exerciser. One of my first jobs out of college was at my local YMCA, where I took up running,” she explained. “Since then I’ve participated in numerous 5Ks, 10Ks, and 15Ks. To cope with the challenges of raising young kids in my 20s, I took up yoga and step classes for stress relief. Eventually, I was inspired to go back to school to earn my degree in nutrition.”

The fitness instructor surprisingly finds Richard Simmons’s song a good workout music

Sarah who has now become a health-and-wellness journalist disclosed that she got the shock of her life after listening to music from the golden age which brought back memories of her mother’s workout songs. “So when my car radio recently played the 1962 hit “He’s a Rebel” by The Crystals — a song I always associate with “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” — I was suddenly reminded of Simmons’ classic video,” she detailed. “I recalled my childhood disdain for the corny moves and music, but I had to wonder: What would the grown-up health-professional version of me think of them now?”

The experience led her to rethink using his mother’s playlist for her exercise routine. “The next day, an overcast November one when I was feeling rather blah, I decided to find “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” online. As I pulled up clips from my mom’s old VHS tape, I felt like I was like entering a time machine to my childhood,” she said. “There were all the people I remembered from 30 years ago: the thin mustachioed man in the green shirt, the large joyful Black woman who stole the show with her contagious energy. And, of course, there was Simmons, sashaying around the gym floor and taking himself as unseriously as possible.”

Sarah claims that Richard Simmons is a genius

“A smile spread across my face. Right there in my living room, I decided to go for it. I danced with Simmons, doing all the moves I found so ridiculous years ago,” Sarah recalled. “Within minutes I could feel my spirits lift. And I suddenly realized that the ridiculousness of Simmons’ schtick wasn’t for its own sake — it was for making exercise fun, for helping us all take ourselves a little less seriously to feel the joy of movement. The more I frolicked and bounced, the more I felt my inhibitions fall away. Who cared if I looked absurd? There was no one to see me, and I was having fun.”

The fitness instructor concluded that working out to Richard Simmons for the first time has revamped her exercise routine. “Since that day, I’ve returned to the old-school videos several times when I’ve needed some light exercise and a mood boost. Believe it or not, they’re actually a decent workout, even for someone like me who’s regularly active,” she said. “Whether I dip in for just a few minutes or spend a bit longer with Simmons and his companions, I always come away feeling a little more jovial, a little less serious. More than 30 years after its release, “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” has managed to make me — and my workouts — feel new again.”