Richard Simmons Supertonin': Totally Tonin'

With his sparkly glitter tank top and his striped short shorts atop a pair of what—surely—must be waxed legs, Richard Simmons here leads a half-hour-shy exercise shout out to 1980s disco. Simmons and nine of his various -sized, -shaped, and -aged friends, trade in the rubber workout mat for the dance floor and boogie to beefed-up versions of disco-era staples such as “Everlasting Love, ” “The Greatest Love of All, ” “Funkytown” (which I now can't get out of my head—thank you Richard!), “Physical, ” and finally “The Greatest American Hero” theme song. In addition to the five tunes, Simmons leads viewers through warm-up and cool-down routines, as well as an endurance training workout using lightweight dumbbells or a set of rubber toning rings (the latter are included in the box). Background exercisers demonstrate numerous modifications (such as sitting in a chair while doing the lat pull or triceps extension) throughout. While this is fairly short for a fitness program, Simmons' enthusiasm and dedication to helping plus-size folk get up and get moving is moving indeed. Three snaps up! Recommended. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)