CNN —Richard Simmons, the perennial 1980s workout personality who was defined by his uplifting spirit, has died, according to his longtime publicist Tom Estey. From 1980 to 1984, Simmons hosted the “Richard Simmons Show,” which had a focus on personal health and fitness. In 2003, Simmons told CNN that his experience as an overweight child eventually put him on a path toward fitness. Recent celebrationFor his birthday, Simmons wrote on X on Friday, “Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day,” Simmons said at the time.

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