Fitness expert Richard Simmons works out with students at PS 1 in Chinatown
Students and teachers at PS 1 in Chinatown worked off holiday meals this week with help from a very special visitor.
Celebrity fitness expert Richard Simmons led the school, along with students from nearby PS 126, in an hour-long session of stretching, dancing, and aerobics to the beats of Beyonce and Rihanna.
When the exercises were over, Simmons gathered students into a circle for a discussion about the importance of staying fit, eating well, and respecting themselves.
“I’ve visited a lot of schools,” he told the students, “but let me tell you, you guys are my favorite!"
“It was so much fun,” PS 1 fifth grader, Jazmin Hawes, said. “It didn’t even feel like we were exercising.”
“I learned a lot,” fourth grader, Althea Jackson Rosa, said. “I usually eat a lot of junk food, but now I know I have to keep my diet healthy.”
Simmons travels around the country appearing on television programs and volunteering in schools to promote the importance of physical education.
“The kids had so much fun,” said PS 1 principal Amy Hom, out of breath from the exercises. “And I loved it too. What a way to start the new year.”
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