Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons!

The best $12 I have ever spent?

It was just this past weekend when my husband Paul and I drove from our rental at the beach up to Beverly Hills 90210 at 9:30 AM on Saturday morning for an aerobics workout class with Richard Simmons!!! Feeling slightly hungover after one too many drinks with Wendy at Chateau Marmont the night before (we hadn't seen each other in three months!), Paul and I dragged ourselves out of bed and made it to 'Slimmons' studio (brilliantly named by the way) by 10 AM to sign-up early for the 11:15 AM class. 

If you're going to wear anything - wear neon!

We were probably a bit too eager as we were one of the first ones there. I would probably just aim to show at 10:45 AM next time, as our class was packed with around 60-80 people - but they did not turn anyone away at the door, which was our worry. So we grabbed some coffee and came back to the studio at 11 AM and the place had filled right up with more people streaming in through the door! 

At 11:15 AM the doors FLEW right open and disco music started pumping, people started jockeying for a spot and the class started right then and there. Step, clap. Step clap. I tried not to smack into anyone! We even had the backup dancers for Justin Bieber and Rihanna taking our class. Richard grabbed his remote and powered on the disco ball hanging from the centre of the room. It was amazing.

Inside the studio lobby

Richard greeted us all in an orange hummingbird top, matching floral rimmed glasses and bright orange hair. It was like a comedy show and aerobics show in one! He is so sassy, so sharp, he hurls out his one-liners while spraying himself down with Pam cooking spray and threatens to spray you if you don't work hard enough!!!

Between all the jokes, the laughs, the disco and top 40 hits - your ass gets worked! You will not be able to peel that smile off your face and the 90-minute class flies right on by. We did floor work facing the mirror, then having the class face each other from each half, then my favourite - facing each other in a circle, when Richard picks out all sorts of volunteers to do the moves with him in the middle. Of course, he gets all the guys to take off their shirts to strut their stuff for the class - it's a really good laugh and everyone really gets into it and of course, we all loved it.

The last section involved lifting some light weights, crunches and then a few inspirational words from Richard. We also celebrated SIX birthdays that day and each celebrant received a little Richard Simmons mini doll necklace made out of fimo, which was very sweet.

What do I love about Richard besides his energy, humour and passion for active living? He's a very genuine human being and you can feel that from him - he truly does care and you can tell that he LOVES what he does. He stayed for almost 30 minutes after class taking pictures, chatting with regulars and out-of-towners and does not leave until he gets through the line-up of people waiting to meet with him after class. $12? I would've easily paid $20! 

What to bring - A towel to lie on top of your mat for crunches, stretch and floor exercises, bottled water or purchase for $1 from the studio and a good sense of humour. Be prepared for anything and all sass from Richard Simmons. Bring extra cash if you want to purchase a souvenir T-shirt, towel, key chain or DVD.

What to wear - Proper workout clothing that you can move in, you're going to be sweating - don't doubt this. Good strong running shoes and a smile! Richard sometimes shoots his classes for his YouTube channel.

Parking - Lots of meters right outside of the studio.

Do not miss an opportunity to take an aerobics class with Richard Simmons when you're in LA! He teaches three times a week when he's in town, call the studio ahead of time to confirm that he will be there and show up early to make sure you get a spot. This was definitely one of the Top 5 most unique travel experiences for me! Not going to LA anytime soon? The class I took will be up on YouTube shortly and I'll make sure to share the link so you can see the awesomeness yourself.