by Joseph H. RADDER
It continues to amaze us that so many Buffalo people are nationally-known yet they
maintain a relatively low profile locally.
Even though she is a relative newcomer to Western New York, Margaret Richard is a good
example. Her Body Electric TV program appears on over 100 PBS stations, she has been
featured in fifteen national magazines and eight newspapers including USA Today and the
New York Times. She has also appeared on NBC’s Today Show and several local TV
programs.
In 1999 Margaret Richard was invited to Washington to appear before the Senate Special
Committee on Aging. In addition she is the star of twenty-one Body Electric videos and a
number of audio tapes designed especially for walkers. Indeed she is a strong believer in
walking as an aerobic exercise. “I believe walking should be an everyday event,”
she says. “The most valuable lesson you can learn about exercise is
consistency.”
Body Electric is a system that combines exercise, lifestyle and nutrition to tone and
strengthen muscles, strengthen bones and promote a feeling of well-being.
As the founder of the Over 40 and Fabulous Club and the Fifty and a Fox Club, Margaret
believes that people can improve with age and that the later years in life offer a
wonderful opportunity for self-growth and inner reflection. “I believe that we will
always have the opportunity for self-improvement and that we are continually redefining
and stretching the limits of age,” she says. Her favorite motto is, “You’re
only as old as you let yourself be and never too old to enjoy the best days of your
life.”
“People peak at different times,” Margaret reminds us. “There’s no
reason why a person shouldn’t look great at age 60.”
In her TV show and on the video tapes, Margaret chats with her audience, lacing her
commentary with humor, while helping them strengthen their muscles and bones.
Richard spent her childhood in one of the Long Island boroughs of New York City. She
studied ballet at Carnegie Hall and was auditioned and hired by Rogers and Hammerstein for
a part in South Pacific. You may remember the little girl who sang “Dites Moi
Porquois?” That was Margaret Richard.
When she was about eight years old she moved with her family to Florida. “My Dad was
in the automobile business,” she said, “and he got tired of the cold winters in
New York.
As a young adult in Tallahassee, Margaret opened an exercise studio which was very
successful. One day some TV executives were having lunch nearby and dropped into her
studio to ask if she’d be interested in doing an exercise show on TV. “Of course
I jumped at the chance” she said. “My Broadway experience came in very handy and
the show was an instant hit. I was amazed, however when it was picked up by so many other
stations across the country.”
In Richard’s opinion nutrition and exercise should definitely be coordinated. For
example, the daily calcium requirements for adults range from 1000 to 1500 mg depending on
age and gender. “However,” Margaret says, “calcium builds strong bones only
when combined with weight-bearing exercise such as lifting weights.” What about
swimming and bicycling? Good exercise, according to Richard, but they are not
weight-bearing.
In addition to her video and audio tapes, Margaret offers her viewers a full line of
related merchandise including leg weights, hand weights, a fanny pack, an exercise mat,
tank tops, T shirts, sweatshirts and a booklet called “The Body Electric Guide to
Nutrition and Weight Control”. Most of the wearing apparel features the Body Electric
or the 40 and Fabulous or Fifty and a Fox logos.
Her TV show really led her to Buffalo. Jack M. Fox, an Orchard Park lawyer, saw her show
and wrote her letters and e-mails. A year later they met. That was in October. “We
were married in January,” she said. The Foxes now live in Orchard Park where Margaret
leads muscle-sculpting classes.
“After many years in Florida, I am actually enjoying the northern climate,” she
says. “Considering the weather we experienced this past winter, it must be
love.”
There are two adult children from a previous marriage. Todd, age 32, lives in Eugene,
Oregon. Brooke, age 24, is a graduate student in Boston.
Years ago there was a movie called “Life Begins at 40”. Today, Richard believes,
life begins at 50. With the children grown and established in their careers, many people
find that they have more discretionary time. And, of course, Americans are living longer
these days. “There are no longer stereotypes for age” she says. “We are
redefining what it means to be 40, 50, and older. I believe we will always have the
opportunity for self-improvement, devoting more time to developing our bodies and our
minds.”
The Over 40 and Fabulous Club has existed for about twelve years. It has thousands of
members from coast to coast. Richard, who turns 56 herself this year, founded the Fifty
and a Fox Club four years ago. “I’m over 50 and I married a Fox,” she said.
As if all this activity weren’t enough, Margaret Richard is writing a book on
fitness. “ It, too, will employ humor,” she said. For example, it will begin
with the end, meaning that an older person’s figure problems often begin with
‘the caboose.’ “However, we should begin a fitness program in earnest
before things begin to move south,” she advises.
In summary, Margaret Richard believes in easy-to-follow programs that are designed to
strengthen muscle and bones. “And there’s an added bonus” she said. More
muscle equates to a livelier metabolism which uses more calories, even when you’re at
rest.”
Margaret Richard can be reached at Body Electric, 4201 North Buffalo Road, Orchard Park,
New York, 14127. Her phone number is 716-662-0668, and her web site can be found at
www.bodyelectrictv..com.
Please accept our belated welcome to Western New York, Margaret. We’re glad
you’re here.
Joseph H. Radder is a freelance writer.