In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness??

E

eaglobo

Cathlete
The reason I am asking this is, DW enjoys working out to Richard Simmons, and when she found ou that his original Sweatin' To The Oldies tapes would be available as a DVD set, she had me hop over to Collage Video and order them right away!! They came the other day, and wow...all I can say is it's pretty incredible just how far fitness videos have come!

Not is not to say that these workouts are easy, the choreography of it had me stop mid way through, whereas DW finished it, and followed the moves fairly spot on.

In my opinion, Richard Simmons is the first name that comes to mind when I think of who invented the home fitness craze....agree, disagree??
 
My best friend's mom had an exercise record (remember them) by Debbie Drake. I remember there was a exercise where you had to walk around like a duck. We would play it and crack up when it got to the duck part. I'm sure it was from the late 60's or early 70's.

In the early 80's I would work out to Joannie Greggins. It was a cassette tape and had a fold out poster with the exercises on it. I remember thinking it was pretty brutal at the time but I was 20 and out of shape.
 
Maybe the Spartans. :)

I remember from a Greek History class, they used iron bars...not coins, as currency; they deliberately made everything hard and difficult to make sure the entire populous was in shape. Talk about functional fitness! Because I had taken the class after the birith of my two children, that really impacted me. I figured hard enough to drag two babies around a market; try dragging two babies and iron bars! I was impressed. And glad I wasn't a Spartan.

It's an interesting question, though, isn't it? I've read bits and pieces about Victorian women and suitable exercise; it seems whenever a priveleged or sedantary lifestyle has popped up, there are those who recognized the need for exercise, both mentally and physically, not just in modern times.

For modern times, I think Jack LaLane is the recognizable name, although I'm sure there were other pioneers of his time period, maybe even before them, just not as successful as he was.
 
I remember watching "Lilias, Yoga, and You" on public television when I was a child. I use to think it was so exotic because she had this huge fat ponytail and bare feet. And what was this strange yoga stuff??? Hee.

Susan L.G.
 
Jack LaLanne. He had and exercise show on TV back in the the 50's...I remember staying at my friend's house (1958), and her mother was working out with him on TV. ;-) How's that for a flashback in time? :p Jane Fonda didn't have her record out until the early 80's. I want to say about 1983.
 
RE: In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness...

>Jack LaLanne, without a doubt ;)

[font color=red size=+2]I agree![/font]

JJ
 
RE: In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness...

<<<In the early 80's I would work out to Joannie Greggins. It was a cassette tape and had a fold out poster with the exercises on it. I remember thinking it was pretty brutal at the time but I was 20 and out of shape>>>

OMG .. I had that too ... I had forgotten about that .. I also started w/Jack LaLane .. and then it is a wonder I survived Jane Fonda and all her bouncing .. I remember her 90 minutes of nothing but bouncy ridiculous "cardio" . and honey I thought I was doing something to do that tape!! LOL

think I have Cathe's VERY first tape too ...

I remember thinking there has GOT to be a better way .. then along came the Firm and changed the way I looked at exercise for life!!

Fitness and everything it stands for has come such a long way!! thank God!!:D
 
RE: In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness...

I generally agree that it was Jack LaLane - although he still sort of focused on the guys. I watched a PBS yoga program and did it all the time when I was a kid, in the '70s. The woman wore yellow and had a big blonde bouffant hairdo.
With that said, however, I do believe that Jane Fonda and then Richard Simmons right behind her are responsible for bringing the idea of home fitness to the "masses." The whole gym/fitness thing for "regular" people blew up in the '80s. Remember the movie "Perfect?" (yikes)
I would say The Firm is definitely one of the pioneers of more weight-focused training for women. And then, of course, there's Cathe.
I had started to train to teach classes at Elaine Powers when I was in high school, but couldn't get into the "aerobic dance" thing. I preferred weight training even back then. Too bad I didn't have the foresight to know where the fitness industry was headed, as I would likely have pursued that path. :-(
 
RE: In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness...

What about Charlene Pritche(sp?) She had a show on called It Figures. I used to do it with my mom. I know she wasn't the first but She's the one I remember my mom working out with and Richard and Jane.
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RE: In your opinion, who is the founder of home fitness...

Id say Jack too.. dude's been aorund forever :) His name is on my weight bench.
I remember when I was a kid tyring to get up early before school to "Mousercise" lol
 
>Michele,
>
>Thanks for the link! He really said it all didn't he? :)
>
>Carolyn
>
>
He sure did! He is AWESOME!! I hope I can be half as fit at 80 as he is at 93 ;) :)
 
I "Mousercised" too. I was about 6 years old at the time. There were orange cassette tapes that I played on my cassette recorder and a booklet to follow. Wow have we come a long way.
 
Another vote for Jack! I'm no where near 70, (well, not that near!) & I used to exercise to his shows in the early 70's. That's all there was at that time. How far we've come! You youngins' have no idea how fortunate you are to have easy access to all the knowledge that is available now!
 
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