For the Love of Jane
Some of my earliest memories are of my mother sashaying around our living room, holding two white five lb. weights that were each the size of a toddler. Almost every morning I would join her as she did her monkey arms, turkey tail feathers, and grapevines (all slightly behind the beat). We would jig and salsa together in ways that resembled neither, because the trim and bubbly woman in a jewel-toned turquoise leotard told us to.
I’m speaking, of course, of Jane Fonda and her Complete Workout.
I grew up in the 90’s, the time of Tae-Bo and “heroin chic”, and in adulthood, I’m bombarded by the latest and (questionably) greatest of fitness trends: CrossFit, SoulCycle, the Tracy Anderson Method—and those are just the branded ones. Want some acronyms? We have HIIT (high-intensity interval training), AMRAP (as many reps as possible), 1RM (one-rep max). And the tech, so much tech! FitBit, Nike watches, apps by your favorite celebrity trainers! Forget about the workout, I’m exhausted just thinking about all my options, because what if I choose the wrong one?
It’s easy to forget that a little more than thirty years ago, we—women especially—only had a couple options. Gyms existed, but as Jane herself states, they were primarily geared toward men. In the 60’s, women relied on belt contraptions to “jiggle” away unwanted fat; the 1970’s brought in a little sense with the rise of bodybuilding and the birth of Jazzercise, but exercising at home, at your own level, was unheard of.
Enter Queen Fonda.
In 1982, Jane released her first video, the Original Workout. Two things happened here: VHS sales skyrocketed, and people came to aerobics in droves. That first video topped the Billboard chart for 145 weeks and became the top-selling VHS of all time. She went on to release twenty-six more videos that ranged from post-natal fitness to yoga to “prime time” workouts for seniors. She opened two gyms and became a treadmill spokesperson—if you have workout equipment in your home (even if you only use it to hang clothes), you can thank Jane Fonda. She was one of the first people to encourage strength training for women, a battle that trainers are still fighting. In the intro to her Complete Workout (my personal fave), she reminds us,
“Don’t be afraid of building bulky muscles. For most women, this is simply impossible….[m]ost women tend to neglect their arms, back, and shoulders, and this can lead to an underdeveloped upper body and stooped posture [which] sets you up for back problems and other injuries.”
Jane spoke the truth, and she made it accessible. She certainly has staying power too, as evidenced by five of her original videos being released on DVD and for digital download. But with all the new trends in fitness, why bother with her workout now?
Because it works. Sure, newer workouts get fancy and specific with timing, but if you’re keeping your heart rate elevated for at least twenty minutes, the rest is gravy. You don’t need to feel like you’re dying to get an effective workout.
Because gyms memberships and personal training can be cost prohibitive, and no one should be priced out of a healthy life.
Because exercise doesn’t need to take itself too seriously. Are these workouts silly? Absolutely. Do some of the women whoop and yell like drunk sorority girls who just heard their song come on at the bar? Also yes. Are the legwarmers mandatory? No, but they’re fun, so why not?
Exercise is a passion of mine, and my love for it comes in many forms: boxing, dance, weightlifting, mud runs…but it began with my mom and Jane, together on those early mornings in the living room. And on the days when I don’t want to go to the gym, or my little girl is not feeling up to a jog in her stroller, I know that I can always come back to Jane.