Jack LaLanne Died
But you already knew that.
Seventy-five years before that, he opened his first gym.
And he was a proponent of fitness throughout his lifetime.
What’s the Deal with Celebrities and Aging?
All to often, they become caricatures of themselves. It’s like they stay in the spotlight just a little too long after their shelf-life expires – a little too long under the lights.
Think about the Michael Jacksons and Elizabeth Taylors of the world. You have to admit, sometimes they get a little weird.
Others simply age gracefully.
Mr. LaLanne was One of the Latter
I was going to list a bunch of his feats. My guess is that’s been done to death over the last few days, so I won’t burden you with anything but the link in the last sentence.
What I do know is that many of the things he did still seem impossible to me.
Afternoons With Jack
I grew up in the 50s, typical of us boomers. Black and white TV with the closest color set downstairs at my grandparents house. That didn’t make a whole lot of difference. KSTP was the only color station at the time and I think that was only at night.
Ever since I was a kid, cold weather and I have not been friends. So as that kid in the 50s I spent a lot of cold, winter afternoons sitting in front of the huge television with the seemingly tiny black and white screen watching afternoon movies and Jack LaLanne.
The first thing I remember is that I just hated those little Capezio-like slippers he wore. The other thing is my wondering why on earth this crazy old man (he was probably 20 years younger than I am now) doing all this stuff.
And so damn enthusiastically. How could anybody get so excited about push-ups? There was no trend toward fitness back then. Sloth was the word of the day. Take my dad. My fondest memory of him consists of slurping a beer with a Chesterfield hanging out of his mouth.
Ahhh, my role model.
Jack LaLanne, from what I know, had a pretty simple philosophy.
1. Move
Exercise is movement. Jack LaLanne moved throughout his life. He repeatedly accomplished the feat of swimming the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, each time adding a challenge of pulling a 1000 pound boat, or being handcuffed and shackled.
I’m not recommending you try those things, but movement begets movement.
2. Only Compete with Yourself
Taking into consideration some of the feats performed by the athlete, it becomes apparent that his goal was always to best himself.
The mark of a champion is the knowledge that whatever someone else can do makes no difference to his or her skill level. The only competition is oneself.
3. Never Give Up
Even at 70, LaLanne was swimming and pulling boats. Throughout the rest of his life, awards kept piling up honoring the original fitness guru with lifetime achievement. Even today, when LaLanne’s name is mentioned to someone in the baby boomer generation, you will most likely see a smile spreading across the face.
4. Be Who You Are
Lean towards the classics. I would never tell you to act your age, but it is much too easy to become that caricature. When I think of people who remain timeless, I personally think of Lauren Bacall or someone like Sean Connery. I see them as people who are classics in dress, action, and their abilities to challenge themselves.
So, how many of you were LaLanne fans at one time or another?
If you were (or weren’t!) what would you add to this tip list of aging gracefully?
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