02/10/2018
Goodbye Jack Lalanne
This week we suffered the loss of 'the Godfather of Fitness,' the one and only Jack Lalanne. He was 96 years old, and still exercised every day and maintained his healthy eating habits. Just a few years ago, when asked about his secret of longevity he famously said "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image." He was joking and the truth is that his image will live on in the lives he touched throughout his long career as mentor, health advocate and public figure.
Jack Lalanne spent his lifetime inspiring others to live healthy, productive lives, from his early days as spa owner and his ground-breaking television program in 1951 to his continued work in raising awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. He was founding member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness under President Kennedy and received the 2007 President’s Council on Physical Fitness Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also honored by the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, and the Fitness Hall of Fame, among many others, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Gold Circle Award commemorating over 50 years in the Television Industry. He never stopped, and had posted on his blog as recently as January 20th.
Jack Lalanne showed us all that exercise is accessible to everyone, his exercises usually required no equipment more complicated than a chair -- his main prop. With his simple programs he brought fitness to thousands of people in the new age of television and kicked off a movement that grew throughout his life and continues today.
Recently, he was asked about his own regimen and stated that his daily routine remained built on two hours of weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.
"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."
Thank you, Jack, you're still an inspiration!
You can go online to view 'Jack Lalanne at 91.' There's a great discussion concerning the benefits of exercise, along with the nutritional boosts obtained through juicing and some great demonstrations of exercises by both Peter and Jack.
