Richard Simmons said he was “grateful” to be “alive” before he died

In an interview published just one day before his sudden death, Richard Simmons said he was “grateful” to be “alive.”

“I feel good! I’m grateful to be here and to be alive for another day,” the legendary fitness coach, who died Saturday just hours after his 76th birthday, told People magazine in a rare interview published Friday.

“I will spend my birthday doing what I do every day: helping people.”

He even said he could be naughty and have “just one” Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie. Simmons was, of course, a health-conscious vegetarian who was careful about what he put in his body.

The star, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a flamboyant fitness trainer and health activist, was reportedly found unconscious by his housekeeper and was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.

According to reports, no foul play was suspected and the man appeared to have died of natural causes.

Representatives for Simmons did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on reports of his death.

He last published on X Saturday morning and shared a cheeky photo of himself. “Hi beautiful! Please don’t spoil my mood,” he wrote under the post.

The day before, he thanked his fans for their birthday wishes.

“Thank you… I have never received so many messages on my birthday in my life!” he exclaimed“I’m sitting here writing emails. Have a wonderful rest of your Friday.”

In March, Simmons revealed that he had undergone skin cancer removal on his face after having a bump under his right eye examined.

He revealed his cancer diagnosis a day after worrying fans by claiming he was “dying.” He later clarified that he was simply illustrating the fragility of life and encouraging people to live their lives to the fullest.

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“I’m sorry that many of you were upset about my message today. Even the press contacted me. I’m not dying,” he wrote on Facebook.

“It was a message to tell us how to enjoy every day we have. Sorry for the confusion.”

In 2016, he was hospitalized for dehydration and again in 2017 for “severe indigestion.”

After giving his last workout class at his famous Slimmons studio in February 2014, he led a private, secluded life. In 2016, he closed the gym completely.

Although he had not appeared in public for over a decade before his death, he remained in touch with his fans through social media.