I think it's safe to say more people would recognize Richard Simmons versus any President after Thomas Jefferson and before Ronald Reagan. Maybe it's the flamboyant dolphin shorts, maybe it's the perpetual "gee, who would have suspected?" rumors of sexual orientation or maybe it's just an energy level that could make single-handedly power a moderately-sized industrial park - whatever it is, Richard Simmons is an icon in the realm of music fitness.

Simmons used to be fat. He graduated high school tipping the scales at 268 pounds, and then went on to sell pralines door to door. Eventually he got into fitness as a result of being tired of his weight and associated health problems including everyone's favorite, gynecomastia. Simmons reportedly found traditional gyms in the 1970s to be unhelpful as he felt they catered primarily to individuals who were already in average to good shape. Richard Simmons developed his own system, which resulted in him losing a whopping 123 pounds. The key, he felt, was creating motivation by making exercise more enjoyable.

Sweatin' to the Oldies is probably his most well-known. A fairly low-impact aerobic tape series created in the 1980s, all of the workouts were set to tunes of the 50s, 60s and 70s. That, in large part, is the genius of the thing - targeting baby boomers with the music they so passionately identify with. As with any aerobic tape you see, Simmons as the leader is accompanied with a cast of people who perform right along with him. A nice - if patently deliberate - touch is that the cast is made up of a wide variety of body types from gym rat to couch potato. Sweatin' to the Oldies is still in circulation today, over 20 years later.

Simmons actually went before Congress to petition a broader emphasis on childhood physical education in schools. “There’s a statistic that says our children will not live as long as their parents,” Simmons is quoted as saying. “When you’re feeling great about yourself, when you have self-esteem and self-respect for yourself, there isn’t nothing you can’t do." It remains to be seen if his speech will encourage a focus on PE included in some variation or continuation of the No Child Left Behind act.

Richard Simmons has sold over 20 million copies of a total 50 fitness videos. If you've never seen him in action, here's an approximation from the show Who's Line is it, Anyway?"