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Kevin Hart may be funny but he’s also focused on fitness
The comedy star is fascinated with inspiring others to get and stay fit
When comedian and movie star Kevin Hart got his big break in 2001, he was unaware that his stardom would lead him to inspire others to get fit.
He now uses his celebrity status, comedy and commitment to fitness to help others. Hart shared his compassion for seeing others remain healthy with SC Featured’s Chris Connelly. The superstar opened up about sports, comedy, the inspiration behind his fitness journey and how it’s all come full circle in Kevin Hart: Keep Laughing, Keep Moving, which recently aired on SportsCenter.
The 38-year-old Philadelphia native said he started to see people he cared about deal with health issues. Hart lost his mother to cancer in 2007, and in 2014 he committed to an intensified fitness regimen.
Hart is a four-time MVP of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, but he couldn’t help but laugh at footage from 1996 when he was a high school point guard in Philadelphia.
“I thought I was going to the NBA,” Hart said.
His high school basketball teammates often referred to him as a “defense pest.”
After watching game footage he couldn’t help but laugh at himself. Film of turnover after turnover, leading to Hart’s removal from the game by his coach, placed him at the butt of his own jokes.
“This basketball highlight is horrible. Who let this out? I think I’ve got eight turnovers right now,” Hart said.
Hart’s high school antics have turned him into not only a successful comic but also a star who places fitness first and is encouraging his millions of social media followers to do the same. He has 34 million Twitter followers and 23 million likes on Facebook.
Being in shape and helping others turned into a full-on cause. Hart took videos during his workouts and posted them to social media. On June 6, 2015, while filming Central Intelligence in Boston, he decided to randomly send out a tweet asking people to join him for a run. He would do this in cities all over, and each time the crowds increased. In his hometown of Philadelphia, there were about 2,500 participants.
“I don’t do it for the personal feeling of ‘look at what I’m doing.’ I love the fact that people are reacting,” Hart said.
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Once a slim grade-school swimmer, Hart flaunting his chiseled physique graced the cover of the October 2016 issue of Men’s Fitness.
Kevin Hart. Photo by Jeff Lipsky for Men’s Fitness, October 2016 issue.
To further Hart’s fitness journey, the comedian is expected to star in a new venture, set to premiere on his Laugh Out Loud YouTube channel, titled Kevin Hart: What The Fit?
According to Deadline, the episodes will feature Hart and his celebrity friends and will include workouts with Marines, hot yoga and mountain climbing. The weekly show was announced in May during YouTube’s NewFronts presentation in New York. The channel has more than 761,000 subscribers to date. The series is produced by Pulse Creative and Hartbeat Productions in association with Lionsgate Television and Laugh Out Loud.
“This is a show for everyone — young, old, athletes and couch potatoes alike — and I’m proud that it will launch exclusively on our new LOL Network on YouTube,” said Hart. “Lionsgate and YouTube are great partners, and this collaboration allows me to add a whole new audience to my fan base and shape up viewers around the world.”