VF is Aging - and so are the classic instructors!

[toaster]

We've had lots of talk on VF lately about the age of the forum, and some of us have been around since the 1990s. Some instructors have been around just as long - and are STILL producing content (mostly online, not DVDs).

I'm 55, and the instructors I used when starting out in fitness are mostly 10-15 years old than me.

Tracie Long - 55 (approx - graduated from college same year as me!)
Tamilee Webb - 65
Donna Richardson, Denise Austin - 66
Karen Voight - 69 (approx)
Kathy Smith - 72

I know that's just a small selection, but let's hear it for fitness longevity!

(I didn't do much early Firm, but here's a prior "where are they now?" VF thread on Firm instructors: https://www.videofitness.com/~vfwnk/...d.php?t=225010)

[Pat58]

Jane Fonda is 87! I borrowed her book, Jane Fonda's Workout, from the library in 1982 while trying to lose baby weight.

According to Google, Rodney Yee is 67. He's still teaching yoga. I thought they were in the Boston area, but he and Colleen opened a studio in Sag Harbor, NY called Yoga Shanti.

I do not know Margaret Richard's age, but it's somewhere in the 70s. She was hoping to launch a new PBS show a few years ago. Us fans of Margaret know about all the streaming problems, etc., but she was willing and able to keep instructing.

I don't know Kelly Coffey-Meyer's exact age, but I think she's in her late fifties. I saw it in a Facebook post a while back and can't remember, but she looks incredible and shows NO signs of slowing down. In fact, with new RAW workouts on her app, and still producing new DVDs, I think she's speeding up!

I don't know Ellen Barrett's age either, but other than her glorious head of hair turning to silver and pewter, she hasn't aged a day since Crunch Fat Burning Pilates was released in 2003 and is still going strong.

[toaster]

Pat, Jane Fonda and MR are certainly 2 classics! I found an article saying that MR was 61 in Sept 2008, so that would make her 77 now. We used to do Jane Fonda videos in gym class in the 80s!

I wasn't thinking about yoga b/c I personally didn't start doing yoga until 2001. Patricia Walden is 76:
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...study-harvard/

[Mopsy]

Originally Posted by Pat58

Jane Fonda is 87! I borrowed her book, Jane Fonda's Workout, from the library in 1982 while trying to lose baby weight.

For my last road trip, I found a podcast by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, interviewing "older" women. Her first guest was Jane Fonda. It was fun and interesting to listen to and she does mention the importance of maintaining strength as we age.

It would be fun to see how many of the FIRM instructors have grandchildren

[Pat58]

Originally Posted by toaster

I wasn't thinking about yoga b/c I personally didn't start doing yoga until 2001. Patricia Walden is 76:
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...study-harvard/

I love how she stated yoga can reduce frailty. Good for her on keeping up!

[warriorprincess]

I worked out to Jane Fonda cassette tapes in my early 20's! She and Cher were always role models to me since they had 15-20 years on me, and stayed in remarkable shape by exercising.

[Pat58]

Then there's Gilad - 69 years old! According to this IDEA article from January, 2023, he's still going strong - and looking fabulous!

https://www.ideafit.com/business/qa-...ad-janklowicz/

Gilad plank workout - 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXK_lNanL5Y

[eventmom]

Joyce Vedral posted on FB in Aug that she is 80.

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by Pat58

I don't know Kelly Coffey-Meyer's exact age, but I think she's in her late fifties. I saw it in a Facebook post a while back and can't remember, but she looks incredible and shows NO signs of slowing down. In fact, with new RAW workouts on her app, and still producing new DVDs, I think she's speeding up!

I'm pretty sure she will be 61 this year. I know she's at least 60. And I agree that she looks amazing and is in incredible shape.

Erica

ETA - she turned 60 last year - here's her facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...7520000&type=3

[bubbles76]

Originally Posted by Pat58

Then there's Gilad - 69 years old! According to this IDEA article from January, 2023, he's still going strong - and looking fabulous!

https://www.ideafit.com/business/qa-...ad-janklowicz/

Gilad plank workout - 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXK_lNanL5Y

How does this man keep looking better and better?