Richard Simmons Is a Fitness Trainer

Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons is a fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through a line of aerobics videos and television programs.Richard Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.Simmons was raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, and attended Cor Jesu High School (now Brother Martin High School. He was an obese child, weighing 268 pounds at the time of his high school graduation.

His first job, in New Orleans, was selling pralines. Simmons also briefly considered becoming a priest.After starting college at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, he transferred to Florida State University. While enrolled there, he studied as an exchange student in Florence, Italy. He graduated with a BA in Art. With his Art degree, Simmons worked in advertising in New York City and also for Coty Cosmetics and Revlon. During his time in New York he also worked as a waiter.

Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons worked as the Maître d' at a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He became interested in fitness, but was dissatisfied with the unhealthy fad diet methods and established gyms and exercise studios of the day which favored the already fit customer.Although he was overweight in his younger days, after becoming interested in fitness, Simmons eventually lost 123 lb (56 kg/8.8 st).

He later opened his own exercise studio, originally called The Anatomy Asylum, where the emphasis was placed on providing encouragement on healthy eating in proper portions and enjoyable exercise. The business originally included a salad bar restaurant called "Ruffage," (a pun on the word Roughage) that he eventually removed in favor of focusing on exercise. The establishment, now called Slimmons, continues to operate in Beverly Hills, California, and Simmons teaches motivational classes and aerobics throughout the week.Simmons has appeared as himself on numerous TV shows, including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs and Saturday Night Live. He has also appeared on an episode of Arrested Development called "Bringing Up Buster". He hosted a short lived TV show called DreamMaker in 1999. Simmons has been featured in commercials for Sprint, Yoplait, and Herbal Essence Shampoos.