Known as “The Godfather of Fitness,” LaLanne was the first celebrity to popularize daily exercise, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle.
Jack LaLanne was one of the first fitness gurus to encourage ordinary Americans to exercise by jumping jacks, a few pushups, or even lifting dumbbells. Long before we were Sweating to the Oldies with Richard Simmons, having an exercise workout with Jane Fonda, or even before Getting Fit with Denise Austin, Jack LaLanne was a fitness celebrity, proclaiming to get daily exercise every day and a proper diet.
Born in 1914, LaLanne went through a difficult adolescence. A high school dropout, he had a volatile temper and suffered chronic headaches and bulimia. LaLanne was also addicted to junk food. Those habits changed when LaLanne got a talk from Paul C. Bragg, a health food advocate and fitness enthusiast. With that talk, LaLanne’s life turned around. He would focus on a well-balanced diet and exercise. At 21, LaLanne opened his first health club in Oakland, California.
Television showcased his fitness and exercise techniques for almost four decades. The Jack LaLanne Show debuted on local television in the early 50s in San Francisco. The show went to national syndication in 1959 and continued until the mid-1980s. On his program, LaLanne was known for wearing his signature jumpsuit and showing off his magnificent biceps. Happy, his white German Shepherd, accompanied him to perform tricks that appealed to children. His show’s audience was mainly females, consisting of stay-at-home mothers and housewives.
At the age of 60, LaLanne swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf, handcuffed and shackled, towing a 1,000-pound boat. He accomplished another feat handcuffed and shackled at the age of 70. He towed 70 boats from Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
Some of his honors include being a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, receiving the Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award, and being inducted into the California Hall of Fame by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver.
Two meals and daily exercise were key components of LaLanne’s life. He ate hard-boiled egg whites, a cup of broth, oatmeal with soy milk, and fresh fruit for breakfast. For dinner, LaLanne ate salad and usually fish, which was salmon. He also indulged himself in drinking red wine. His daily exercise consisted of lifting weights until he could no longer possibly lift them. LaLanne famously said, “Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together, and you’ve got a kingdom.”
LaLanne also marketed many products, including the Glamour Stretcher cord and a Power Juicer for blending vegetables and fruits. He published books and fitness videos. On his 95th birthday, he released a book titled Live Young Forever.
Jack LaLanne, the man who fought to live forever, died in 2011. He was 96. In his own words, Jack LaLanne never wanted to die. “I can’t afford to die. It would wreck my image.”
