Margaret Richard came to fitness early in life. Her enduring and very successful journey began with her passion for dance at the tender age of three.  As a young child, she studied ballet at the world renowned Carnegie Hall in New York. At just eight years old, Richard played the role of Ngana (the child of a plantation owner) in the 1956 revival of South Pacific on Broadway after auditioning for Rogers and Hammerstein personally.       

Richard’s training in dance inspired her to choreograph her unique fitness program that incorporating strength with grace. While she was very familiar with artistic discipline, learned from her years of studying ballet, the body sculpture technique using light weights to shape and tone the muscles, was dynamically different. It was aesthetic and athletic.  Richard choreographed each exercise routine to combine a thorough muscle-toning workout, using light resistance, with the artistic elements of dance.  In 1978, Richard introduced a group of her friends to her program and there was no turning back. Women and men of all shapes, sizes and ages celebrated their increased muscle definition and vitality and the requisite muscle soreness. And so….Body Electric was born!

Richard’s Body Electric program made its television debut in 1984 on the PBS-TV network which is known for introducing diverse programming. Body Electric is now celebrating its 20th new series and continues with its twenty-second year on PBS-TV. The program has been described as, “the program that women of the Boomer generation want, love, and will continue to practice at home with a few sets of dumbbells, an exercise mat and a kitchen timer.”          

Richard’s achievements were highlighted by her induction into the newly formed National Fitness Hall of Fame.  She joined other fitness notables in the 2006 class including Kathy Smith, Jake Steinfeld, Richard Simmons and Ben Weider.

As an extension of her popular PBS television series, Body Electric, Richard is releasing her book (BODY ELECTRIC: Strong, Toned and Sexy in Just Three Hours a Week, McGraw-Hill; May, 2008; HC, $24.95) this May. The book mirrors her mantra, “fight age with muscle.” Richard is the mother of two grown children, Todd, 38, and Brooke, 30.  She currently resides in Western New York with her husband.

Name: Margaret Richard

Birthday: 11/09/1946

Location: Orchard Park, NY (home of the Buffalo Bills)

Website: www.bodyelectrictv.com

Diet Detective: Hey Margaret, you’re an inspiration to us all – thanks for taking a few minutes to share your wisdom with us. My first question is how you went from a Broadway performer to a fitness guru? How did you do it?

Margaret: My training in ballet, which began at age three, nurtured my abiding reverence for grace and discipline. Following the birth of my daughter, Brooke, in 1978, I discovered a different type of physical expression that I describe as “strength with grace.”  Once I picked up the dumbbells, I never looked back.

Diet Detective: Let’s get right into it – you make some bold statements about aging –implying that a person can become more physically and in better health as they age. Do you really believe that? Doesn’t it defy logic? Our bodies are breaking down from our late 30s on.

Margaret: You can prevent or reverse many of the symptoms of aging by counteracting decreased levels of natural human growth hormone (HGH), which plays an important role in the regulation of muscle mass, bone density and metabolism. In addition to diet and sleep patterns, resistance training is probably the largest contributor to growth hormone release. Muscle overload causes the release of lactic acid which, in turn, triggers the secretion of HGH--an unmatched anti-aging force.

Even if you have led a basically sedentary life, you can end up with more muscle mass, strength and youthful vitality than you had in your thirties and forties by following the Body Electric muscle and bone-strengthening program. Your muscles will always respond to the exercise challenge.

Diet Detective: About your most recent book --- Body Electric, based on your PBS series – I was wondering why the claim to exercise only 3 hours per week. Are you just talking about the strength training and flexibility training in the book? What about cardio activity – walking for an hour a day or so? Things like that?

Margaret: Your most powerful exercise strategy for optimal health must include a combination of weight training and aerobic exercise. While aerobic exercise serves to strengthen your heart and lungs, only exercises with progressively challenging resistance will increase muscle mass. Here is the formula for optimal results:

· Muscle toning - Perform twelve 3-1/2 minute exercises (targeted at the major muscle groups) every three days. For instance, if you work your biceps on Monday, exercise the biceps again on Thursday. You can perform all 12 exercises on the same day, or divide them into separate sessions.

· Aerobic conditioning – The American Medical Association recommends a minimum of 30-minutes of aerobic exercise (brisk walking, swimming, etc.) most days, to strengthen the cardio-vascular system and burn calories.

Diet Detective: If you’re over 40 are there specific things that you need to be doing with your body with your workout than if you were under 40?

Margaret: The Body Electric program features non-impact exercises, which challenge your muscles while being gentle on your joints. The most important consideration, at any age, is correct form. You have to continually challenge your muscles by increasing the resistance, when you can do so without compromising correct form.

Diet Detective: What are the Over 40 and Fabulous Club and the Fifty and a Fox Club?

Margaret:  The Body Electric clubs, which include the newest (and oldest) addition, “Sixty and Sublime” celebrate women and men “of a certain age” who are in the best shape of their lives. And, there are no dues because as I like to say, “Honey, you paid ’em.” Club members receive personalized certificates and special offers.

Diet Detective: What’s the biggest secret that diet gurus typically don’t tell their clients, but should?

Margaret: I don’t pretend to be a diet guru. Many of the so-called gurus are celebrities that look good, but lack proper nutritional credentials. My best advice: honor your uniqueness by consulting with a registered dietician to develop a customized food plan that addresses your personal nutritional needs.

Diet Detective: Tell us about your typical day?

Margaret: I thrive on serendipity. With that said, there are some “rules and regs” that support a healthy lifestyle:

·         7:00 a.m. - on my treadmill in time for the first 45-minutes of the Today Show.

·         Breakfast - a protein shake a banana (half), blueberries and a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed.

·         Office - I loved the process of writing my new book, Body Electric, and welcome the promotional opportunities it has generated—such as this. My assistant, Tracy, manages the office, including customer service, which allows me to concentrate on promoting my book and generating new Body Electric TV programs and DVDs. 

·         Lunch – usually at a restaurant with my husband (it’s difficult to resist his fries).

·         My muscle-toning routine - Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 10:00 a.m. – I teach a one-hour muscle-toning class at my local YMCA.

·         Dinner - usually light and late (8-9:00 p.m.)

·         Evenings – my husband, Jack, and I relax with reading, TV, knitting (that would be me) or computer activities (I have an ongoing online “Scrabulous” game with my son-in-law who lives in Boston). Jack is fond of saying, “the pack is together,” which is the best time of the evening.

Diet Detective: What’s in your refrigerator and pantry right now?

Margaret: I love to prepare fresh foods in new and varied ways (I’m not into having frozen “back-up”).  I cook for two (okay, sometimes three, which includes my Siberian Husky, Siber). I cook very little red meat, but do enjoy chicken, fish and tofu.

I love using my Dutch oven. Last night I cooked a turkey breast with rice. The recipe from norbest.com:

DUTCH OVEN GARLIC RICE TURKEY BREAST

I N G R E D I E N T S:

1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked

4 cups turkey or chicken broth

2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp each dried rosemary, thyme, and sage

1 bay leaf

1 Breast of Young Turkey

2 Tbs paprika

3 garlic bulbs, root-end cut off

D I R E C T I O N S:

In 5-qt Dutch oven combine rice, broth, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay leaf. Place turkey over rice mixture and sprinkle turkey with paprika. Place whole garlic bulbs, cut end up, in rice around turkey breast. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Allow to stand 10 minutes before carving. To serve, carve turkey into slices and place on platter. Spoon rice mixture into serving bowl. Squeeze garlic from skins onto turkey and rice.

I enjoy having a salad as a meal that includes mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, Sicilian olives, tuna, beans (garbanzos, great northern, etc.) and a small amount of Asiago cheese with light dressing.

(I substitute pasta for spinach or broccoli in most pasta dishes.)

Homemade soup is healthy and filling. I use organic, low-sodium broth combined with salsa as a base, and add vegetables, beans (such as lentils), and spinach.

I cater to my sweet tooth with a small serving of rice pudding topped with sliced almonds and whipped cream (never cool-whip).

Staples:

Smart Balance® Omega-3 Buttery spread, oil and peanut butter

Mayonnaise (low-fat)

Jelly – all-fruit

Apples - Fuji

Oranges - Navel

Fruits and vegetables - seasonal and organic, when possible

Oatmeal (regular)

Bread - Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain

Cheese - Jarlsburg low-fat Swiss

Almonds, sliced

Eggs (organic)

Orange juice (fresh)

Drink in addition to plain water - pomegranate (or other fruit) juice mixed with carbonated water and lemon or lime.

Tuna (light), and salmon in pouches rather than cans

Sardines

Diet Detective: If you could only do three strength-training exercises, which would they be?

Margaret: These strength-training exercises can be done almost anywhere and require no equipment. I suggest doing these movements in a slow and controlled manner for about 3-1/2 minutes per exercise:

Upper body:

1. Push-ups for the upper body  - traditional (on toes), modified (on knees) or a combination

The “suck and tuck” combo:

2. Crunches for the abdomen
3. Squeezes for the gluteus

Diet Detective: What’s your favorite “junk food?”

Margaret: Potato chips, ad infinitum (or ad nauseum). I substitute rice cakes for the salty crunch I crave.

Diet Detective: What’s your favorite healthy breakfast?

Margaret: My favorite healthy breakfast is a Greek omelet with egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, and light feta cheese … with dry whole-wheat toast and, “please hold the potatoes.”

Diet Detective: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food? [Please be specific and try not to answer with a category but rather with a specific food item: for example, not “whole grain” but “raisin bran cereal”?]

Margaret: Tofu (marinated and stir-fried)

Diet Detective: Which historical figure can you relate to most?

Margaret:  On a personal note, my grandmother immigrated to America from Western Europe in the early 1900’s with her parents and 12 younger siblings. I can’t imagine the courage required to relocate a family of 14 to a new country.

Diet Detective: What do you do to reduce stress, relax and center your mind?

Margaret:  Exercise is an obvious choice for me. As soon as I begin teaching my class, I enter a relaxing and fulfilling zone.

Diet Detective: Who’s your hero?

Margaret: It has no gender, but does possess amazing energy: creativity.

Diet Detective: What was your worst summer job?

Margaret:  I try to look at each experience as an opportunity to learn. My “summer” jobs were limited: children’s counselor at a day and hotel in my hometown, Miami Beach.

Diet Detective: What’s your motto?

Margaret: Define yourself with strength rather than age.

Diet Detective: As a child you wanted to be:

Margaret: I never dreamed that I could have a career that would give me the opportunity to continually redefine my goals. Fitness has been very good to me. 

Thank you. 

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