Does anybody remember this? The 20 minute workout? It was an exercise show in the 80’s. It was permed hair and “let’s get physical” workout clothes. It may have been one of the first aerobic workout shows on TV. I had just had Andy, my first child, in 1984. This show was a big part of my losing the baby weight. It was hardcore for someone not athletic like me, and I didn’t have to have the coordination of a choreographer to do it.
At least that’s how I remember it.
The show was on at something like 5:00 a.m. so I’m not sure how I found it, but when I discovered there was no way I was going to get up at that hour to exercise – I taped as many episodes as I could and would do it later in the day. Because we had bought our first ($700.00) VCR. Yes, you read that right. They were expensive back then. Or possibly my ex-husband told me that’s what he spent the money on, but anyway .. !
There wasn’t a single person who was the star, from episode to episode there would be different women leading the work out for that day. There were always other women doing the routine with her and managing to look gorgeous all the way through.
I had not seen anything of the show since the 80’s and trying to find it on the internet now, I was in for some surprises.
I do not remember the way it was shot and the makeup and spandex looking anything like porn back then. There were a lot of shots of women from above looking down on them as they bent over and touched their forearms to the floor and bounced, bounced, bounced. Again shooting from above there was always at least one girl who would make that eye contact with the camera as she slowly did the cool down, raising her arms over her head and looking up as she did so.
It was shot ‘in the round’ basically; it had to be the camera going around the girls because they couldn’t have been working that hard on a moving platform. But the camera angles allowed you
to see every exercise from all the angles you would want or need to. Now I kind of wonder how many guys watched it for a completely different reason than I did!
I will say that looking at it now, the stills look worse than the video, but I just didn’t see it as super sexy back then. Was I that naïve? Or did I just want to get into shape that bad?
All I remember was looking at those women and thinking what perfect bodies they had, and how badly I wanted to look like them. There were no fake boobs on that show either, just pretty, very well toned women.
Exercise and I are not friends. There have been times in my life where I got into a good routine and worked out on a regular basis, and sometimes it lasted quite a while. But I’ve always stopped. And for a long time I’ve thought – man – that show ought to come back – I loved that show! I would exercise if I had that show to motivate me!
Uh huh.
I decided to try to find it and it was very difficult. I finally found a 2 DVD set with 8 episodes on – where else – eBay. Of course I bought it and it’s on its way. Either I will kill myself trying to do the work out I did literally 20 years ago, or I will give myself a break and alter it until I can catch up.
Or, I will remind myself that when I did that work out I was 25 years old, didn’t have any plates or screws in my ankle, and no cats to trip over, and plop down on the couch with a tub of caramel corn and a creme soda and watch my daughter do it. She is SO going to laugh when she sees the hair and outfits. If nothing else – it will be good for a chuckle!
This video is 10 minutes long, but at least have a peek. I know you'll want to go dig out some sweat bands and leotards and get going! Or not. But it IS worth a look.
Admit it. You SO want to get physical now, don't you?
