Richard Simmons’ Last YouTube Workout

Video: Flamboyant workout guru Richard Simmons hasn’t been teaching classes or releasing videos for the last few years. (He may be the victim of witchcraft, or just of bad knees, depending on who you ask.) But you can still savour his last YouTube workout.

The workout includes eight videos, each five minutes long, and you can run through the first seven with this playlist. For the cooldown, you can either do the warmup all over again (it does double duty) or click over to the eighth video that features tearful positive affirmations. Forgive grudges, he tells us. And don’t forget — you are worth more than all the rainbows in the sky and all the pearls in the ocean.

Three of the videos are heart-pumping dance moves. Nothing too intense or difficult, although the camerawork makes it hard to see exactly what Simmons is doing. It took me a minute to realise that everything is just a variation on one of a few basic moves, and then I was stepping along with Richard and his crew.

After the cardio, there are three videos with dumbbell strength moves. I used 2.2kg dumbbells, which seemed too light at the beginning and just about right by the end. If you’re new to exercising, this is a good strength workout. If you’re used to pumping serious iron, the videos won’t replace a gym session but could be a good option to squeeze in a little exercise on a recovery day. As Richard says, every time you exercise, you’re saying “I love you” to your body.

And if you just want a quick workout you can do in five minutes, pick one of the videos — Cardio One, perhaps — and get your sweat on while Richard Simmons calls you a pretty pony.