We find it surprising that Jane Fonda is remembered as a famous actress but rarely receives the recognition she deserves for bringing fitness into the mainstream. Most people know her for her roles in Julia, Coming Home, and Golden Pond, but only legends will recognize her for her workout video entitled Feel The Burn.
The iconic video was released on April 24, 1982, and it was based on her best-selling book, Jane Fonda's Workout Book. If you lived through that era, you certainly would’ve seen this tome at least once.
The video features a young and physically fit Jane Fonda wearing her big '80s hair and leg warmers. She gleefully performs her exercise routine, all while looking glamorous and healthy! The video introduced fitness phrases like “feel the burn” and “no pain, no gain.”
Fonda claims that they only rehearsed the routine for a few days and made plenty of mistakes while making the video. At the time, she didn't have a style team, so they did their hair and makeup themselves. Jane also adds that they felt that their lack of staff and camera operators was no big deal. She didn't think it would be something big and had no idea that it would give birth to a whole new industry!
Soon after its release, the video caught a lot of attention from women who wanted to look as fit and healthy as Fonda. It sold over 17 million copies, which encouraged Fonda to make more exercise videos. All in all, she released 20 videos that sold like crazy!
Today, Jane Fonda is still “feeling the burn” and inspiring contemporary fitness buffs. In 2012, she released a video entitled Jane Fonda Am/Pm Yoga for Beginners.
Jane mentioned in a blog post that over the years, the fitness industry has drastically changed. With the help of science and technological advancements, routines from the '80 have gone right out of fashion. Modern physiology suggests that our focus should be more on core training, understanding different body types and mindsets, and working with them to develop a workable fitness journey. Fonda expressed her delight that the industry is at an all-time high, and we are living in a time where women know that it's okay to have muscles. Routines and leg warmers may come in and out of fashion, but fitness will never go out of style.