Work-out for seniors

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 24

Work-out for seniors

From DIANE DAOU in Los Angeles It was a journalist’s dream. Hoffman and Pacino were doing a mad, improvisational soft shoe; Stallone was telling an amusing story; off in a corner Fawcett was standing on her mark - and concentrating on the next scene; and Simmons was beaming goodwill to cast and crew alike.

This was not a fantasy — it all took place on the Pembroke, Florida, set of “Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes,” in which the exercise guru gathered the parents of those famous names, including his own mother to produce a video workout for Seniors. Why did Sal Pacino, Harry Hoffman, Jacquelyn Stallone, Pauline Fawcett and Shirley Simmons agree to do a video aimed at the over-50 set? Well, in their own words “I am having a ball doing this,” said Sal Pacino. "I exercise every day anyway by dancing and weightlifting. And, I want to tell you exercise can make a difference. I am 64 years old and I am not deceiving anyone when I say that- I know that exercise works for you.”

Hany Hoffman had a different reason. “I did this because they grabbed me and pulled me into it and I didn’t have anything else to do,” he said. “When, my son (Dustin) found out, he said, ‘You aren’t doing this for the money are you?’ But then

I told him I was doing it because I wanted to and that I was having a good time, and he said, ’lf you like, I like it* "I will be 79 in two weeks and now I apt into longevity,” Hoffman said. “I eat right and exercise. You know the life expectancy for a man in this country is 72.1 figure that I am seven years on velvet I absolutely practise what we preach on this video.” Jacquelyn Stallone, the catalyst of the project says she did it out of “boredom.” "I was sitting in Florida waiting for my divorce and I was bored and I fell into this,” she said. “I thought that maybe other parents of stars were bored, too. You know, money isn’t the answer to boredom. I called everybody up. We all met in Florida and we just clicked. We had a great time.

"I am glad that we can be role models for senior

citizens. I am sick of seeing all of these sad ads about how we can get coupons for discounts. Why can’t seniors have style, feel alive, be positive, look great? "1 think younger men should go with older women and younger women should go with older men. My boyfriend is younger than I am, but he doesn’t know it” “I was at Farrah’s house when the call came to do this,” said Pauline Fawcett "At first I said, ‘Oh, no.’ But Farrah convinced me that I could do it When she was younger and living at home she always encouraged me to exercise. “I have been a housewife my whole life, except wheu I toured with my daughter. All this is new to me, but I am having a great time. I am happy that we can encourage people to make a change in their lives.”

-“Video Times”