Jane Fonda’s 1982 Workout Video Is Available On Amazon—But Does It Stand the Test of Time?

Author:
Ashley Lauretta
Apr 3, 2020

Jane Fonda started her career back in the 1950s, but she's still making headlines today. Need proof? The 82-year-old actress and fitness icon just dropped a new workout video to fight climate change, and it's trending on TikTok. Fonda has long been lauded for her activism, bringing visibility to the urgency of recognizing and preventing climate change through protests at the Capitol.

While you may best know her for her stage and screen work—including Sunday In New York, Klute (for which she holds one of her Oscars), The Newsroom, and her current role on Netflix's Grace and Frankie, among others—Fonda also lays claim to another record: the top-selling VHS of all time. Now available on Amazon,Jane Fonda’s Original Workout is experiencing a resurgence. Here’s how this 1982 workout video came about and plus a look at how it holds up against today’s surge of at-home fitness offerings.

Jane Fonda’s journey to the top-selling VHS of all time

When it comes to her fitness offerings, Jane Fonda’s Original Workout is the most recognized. In reality though, it only makes up a small portion of her fitness empire. Before the videos came, the book came, and before the book, came the fitness studios. Originating in 1972, Fonda was owner of multiple aerobics studios called Jane Fonda’s Workout. With locations in San Francisco, Encino and Beverly Hills—the final location closed in 1991—this studio focused on fitness offerings for women at a time when they were scarce.

“Back then, if a woman went to a health club, there’d be a gym for men and nothing for women,” Fonda told Ellen DeGeneres in a 2014 interview. “We were not supposed to be strong and fit.”

In 1981, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book was published, making her the first celebrity with a published workout regimen. Demand was so high that it sold close to 2 million copies within its first two years, and the idea for her first workout video was born. Jane Fonda’s Original Workout, which featured both a beginner and advanced workout, is taken from her book and it was more than a success: it made history.

Following the success of her first VHS workout tape, Fonda went on to create more videos through 1995, including Jane Fonda’s New Workout, Jane Fonda’s Low Impact Workout and more. After 15 years away from the fitness industry—and a hiatus from acting, as well—Fonda returned to the scene with her Primetime Health series aimed at women in their 50s and older (the first video was released in 2010). This saw Fonda return to her status as a celebrity fitness expert, decades after she first hit the scene and gave women the guidance they craved to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

How Jane Fonda paved the way for at-home fitness

Fonda credits some of her success to a matter of timing. “There was no video industry because it cost too much to get the hardware to play it,” she added in her chat with DeGeneres.

But once people started buying VCRs, it led to astronomical sales records for Fonda. What followed was a fitness revolution that paved the way for both celebrities and fitness-professionals-turned-celebrities to make workouts accessible, no matter the location. Without at-home fitness videos, we wouldn’t have Jillian Michaels, Denise Austin, Tracy Anderson and so many more. And of course, knowing there was an audience craving at-home workout routines helped lead to the creation of fitness apps.

Just as Fonda combined her business of fitness studios and fitness videos, gyms today now combine their services with apps that let members access workouts even when they can’t physically attend. The technological advancements we've seen since that first VHS tape are pretty mind-boggling—now, with the tap of a button on your phone, you can have your trainer offer adjustments and suggestions with immediate video feedback.

So, does Fonda's workout hold up today?

Jane Fonda’s Original Workout may be a little dated, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss it. There's a reason it sold so many copies, after all. While the outfits may be out of style these days, the moves hold up, according Jennifer Emge, a coach creating personalized exercise plans at Courage to Sweat. “38 years have passed since this workout was released, and some of these exercise moves are still used in popular workout routines today,” she muses.

At first glance, a lot of the moves look like they may not be doing much—at least that was my first thought when Fonda starts doing arm circles as a move after the warmup—but Emge notes that even if you aren’t building up strength, you can be building muscle endurance: “Some other movements require quite a good deal of flexibility and core strength, which may not be outright apparent as Jane Fonda was clearly flexible and in good shape making those exercises look easier than they may be for some."

While you won’t want Fonda's video to be your only form of exercise—Emge recommends adding in strength training, too—it's great for beginners or those who are looking to lighten up their fitness routine. If anything, you’ll get a chuckle that will help ease any anxiety you have around working out.

“Some [moves] are outdated as far as exercise cultural preferences and trends are concerned, but if you're a beginner or need safe, low-impact cardio to get you started on your fitness journey, this workout would be a nice lead in,” Emge urges. “Some of these exercises are simple to execute, but for a beginner who may need a confidence boost, or to get their body used to exercise, simplicity isn't a bad thing.”

Love Jane Fonda? Find out whatLily Tomlin has to say about working with her on Grace & Frankie.