80’s Fitness Stars
What are the 80’s known for? Oh man, like a lot of things. Really big hair, snap bracelets, the meaning of ‘be kind, rewind’, weepy after school specials, the Walkman, telephones with crazy long cords, and a whole bunch of other things we’re glad are in the past.
But if there’s one thing we’ll never forget about the 80’s, it’s the fitness stars that emerged and blew us away with their routines. The likes of Richard Simmons, Tony Little, Denise Austin, Kathy Smith, and so on are this list. This decade was all about tugging on your colorful leotards, leg warmers, and popping in a VHS to work along to your favorite routine (Jazzercise, duh),with your favorite fitness legend.
But let’s be real, that kind of get-up doesn’t exist now. I mean, who many of us actually even still have a VHS recorder? Didn’t think so. Better yet, if you do have one, do you still even use it? Ahh, now that’s the question. It’s all about YouTube and our favorite digital dinosaurs are probably somewhere on the web presenting their biggest hits.
Times have changed now, people are all about quick results, and no one has time to sweat to the oldies. Crash dieting, juice cleanses, surgery (liposuction and gastric bypass, anyone?), and anything else that offers a quick solution – now these are trends of the 21st century in the exercise world. And with the growing trends, people only watch a 20 second clip that’ll make them laugh instead of follow along to a 40 minute workout video.
However there are a few committed fitness junkies who swear by Pilates, yoga, and cycling to get their exercise kick. These are the kinds of people who view their body as a temple and don’t care about recent trends; they care about maintaining their figure and being at their best. These are the kind of people most of us want to punch in the face, but only because we’re so darn jealous.
For old times’ sake, let’s rewind and discover what our favorite fitness fanatics who are still kicking it – aerobics-style, of course – are up to today. How many of them are still fitness stars and how many have gone on to achieve even bigger and better things? You might just be surprised by the answer.
Jane Fonda
Don’t tell me that you forgot Jane Fonda is also a fitness guru? Fonda is not just an actress or a writer or a political activist – she is a walking Wonder Woman. Before the 80’s even came ’round, Fonda had established herself as a powerhouse on the big screen. So when her first ever exercise video was released in 1982, Jane Fonda’s Workout, no one was surprised that it went on to become the highest-selling video of that time. This was the first of 22 workout videos to come over a 13 year span – all of which collectively sold more than 17 million copies. Fonda is still acting to this day while fighting the good fight for various charitable causes and political arenas.
Jane Fonda
