Villa Maria offers Simmons’ exercise classes
Mary Ann Smith (left) and her cousin Rose Sandner pose with Richard Simmons on Feb. 21 at a special event hosted by the Prairie Heart Institute at St. John’s Hospital. Smith will begin hosting exercise classes using Simmons’ DVDs at Villa Maria Catholic Life Conference and Retreat Center on April 17. Physical fitness enthusiasts and Richard Simmons fans can gather together at Villa Maria Catholic Life Conference and Retreat Center in Springfield for some fun exercise sessions beginning Tuesday, April 14.
Mary Ann Smith, director of the Villa, says “Exercise with Richard Simmons” classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. and are open to both women and men. Participants will gather at the Lake Springfield location to work out while watching Richard Simmons’ DVDs.
Smith says she had the idea for the class some time ago. She became more enthusiastic about arranging it after she attended Simmons’ exercise day, sponsored by the Prairie Heart Institute at St. John’s Hospital on Feb. 21. Her daughter, Erica Smith, is a public relations representative for St. John’s who worked on promoting the famed exerciser’s visit.
Both mother and daughter had a chance to meet Simmons that day and were impressed by his genuine concern for the people he meets. “He sat down and talked to all of us. He said everyone has problems, but when you get up in the morning you should count your blessings,” Mary Ann Smith says.
“The one thing he really promotes is being good to yourself. I really think that everybody looks good to Richard. I know, he is so outrageous, but working out to the music is good for you and it is fun.”
There’s no charge for the class says Smith, who adds she looks forward to meeting new people at the Villa. “I have all five of Richard’s DVDs and we have a new audio visual system. We’ll use one DVD to start with and then if we get tired of that one, we’ll move on to another.
“This is not a structured thing. If you miss a class, that’s OK. If there is a bigger interest, we can have more classes,” Smith says. “All they have to do is sign a release. It should be a lot of healthy fun.”
For more information on the class contact Mary Ann Smith at (217) 529-2230.