BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Jane Fonda's Workout, the aerobics studio that helped launch the fitness craze of the past decade, closed down operations Wednesday, a spokeswoman said.
Fonda decided to shut the facility on South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills because of not being able to compete effectively against the plethora of Southern California health clubs, the spokeswoman said.
Fonda, whose empire is worth an estimated $100 million, also made the decision to close the studio in order to concentrate on her core businesses of fitness videos, books and audiotapes, the spokeswoman said.
Fonda, 53, has released 14 workout videotapes and sold more than 6 million copies. She has also written five books, which have sold 2 million copies.
The studio, launched in 1979 by the Academy Award-winning actress, offered its final classes Tuesday evening. The spokeswoman said refunds will be given to members.
The studio was opened in part to raise money for the Campaign for Economic Democracy, a liberal political reform group founded by Fonda and her former husband, Democratic State Assemblyman Tom Hayden. Fonda sometimes taught classes at the studio during the first years it was open.
Fonda also opened Workout studios in San Francisco and in the Encino section of Los Angeles, but those were closed as the video and book business grew.
Fonda introduced her first video -- 'Jane Fonda's Workout' -- in 1982 at a time when the home video business was still in its relative infancy. The 90-minute program, combining stretching, toning exercises and a traditional aerobics workout was a major hit and sold 1 million copies despite the $59.95 price tag.
Fonda, still the target of anger among Vietnam veterans for her visit to Hanoi in 1972, continued to perform occasionally in movies during the past decade. Her most recent film, 'Old Gringo' with Gregory Peck and Jimmy Smits, produced only mild success at the box office.
