We wish we had these '80s and '90s celebrity workout videos now
While self-quarantining has forced gymgoers to take a break from group fitness classes, there’s no shortage of options for at-home exercise.
But all the ads for online barre, HIIT and Pilates offerings populating our social media feeds have us feeling nostalgic for the golden age of living-room workouts, a time when seemingly every celebrity could be seen sporting spandex, breaking a sweat and demonstrating their most impressive moves for the camera.
For many of us, these beloved VHS tapes were a staple of our daily routines in the ‘80s and ‘90s. (I lunged and crunched along with Cindy Crawford after school — and cringed when the copy of “Sweatin’ to the Oldies 2” I insisted on renting at age 11 got stuck in my mom’s VCR, making for an awkward visit to the TV repair shop.)
Fortunately, we can relive some of our favorites via YouTube — here are some of the most memorable.
“Paula Abdul’s Get Up and Dance!” (1994)
This dance-based routine, which was all about Abdul’s choreography, featured the pop star’s hits, such as “The Promise of a New Day” and “(It’s Just) The Way that You Love Me.”
"Angela Lansbury's Positive Moves: A Personal Plan for Fitness and Well-Being at Any Age" (1988)
“Self-acceptance is vital,” the “Murder, She Wrote” star advised in her soothing video, which featured gentle exercises such as “on-land swimming” (a breaststroke motion while standing).
Alyssa Milano, “Teen Steam” (1988)
The “Who’s the Boss?” star, then 15, kicked off the video with a theme song about the pressures of high school, and encouraged young fans to work off their stress through dance.
“Cindy Crawford: Shape Your Body Workout” (1992)
The supermodel’s foray into fitness featured alternating strength-based workouts against a beach backdrop.
“Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ to the Oldies” (1988)
We dare you not to have fun doing Simmons’ low-impact choreography to an upbeat playlist of ‘50s and ‘60s classics in this hit series, which he promised to be “full of kicks, thrills, gusto, fury, passion, bustle and action.”
Estelle Getty, “Young at Heart: Body Conditioning” (1993)
Picture it: A year after “The Golden Girls” ended, the wisecracking then-septuagenarian released a video that began with her tongue-in-cheek admission, “Between you and me, I wasn’t always the fitness goddess you see here today.”
“CherFitness: A New Attitude” (1991)
If we could turn back time, we’d still be enjoying our VHS copy of the superstar’s workout program, which began with a 38-minute step workout.
“Jane Fonda’s Workout” (1982)
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the “Grace and Frankie” star’s bestselling first fitness video, proclaimed “still the best exercise class out there” by Vogue in 2018. The hugely popular “Jane Fonda Workout” series included a total of 22 videos.
