On January 23rd, the Health and Fitness icon, Dr. Jack LaLanne died
at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy that inspired millions to
live a healthier lifestyle.
For those of you who don’t know much about Jack LaLanne, his
fitness exploits were legendary. Here are a few of his fitness
adventures from his remarkable life:
- At the age of 40, he swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge
(San Francisco) underwater with 140 pounds, including two air tanks. - At age 41, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf (San
Francisco), handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. - At age 42, he performed a world record 1,033 push-ups in just 23
minutes on national television. - At age 43, he swam the Golden Gate Channel, towing a 2,500 pound
boat. - At age 45, he completed 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups in 88
minutes. - At age 60, he repeated the swim from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s
Wharf, again handcuffed, shackled, and towing a 1,000 pound boat. - At age 61, he swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge,
underwater, for a second time, handcuffed, shackled, and towing a
1,000 pound boat. - At age 62, he commemorated the “Spirit of ’76” by swimming 1 mile
in Long Beach Harbor, handcuffed, shackled, and towing 13 boats
(representing the 13 colonies) filled with 76 people. - At age 70, towed 70 boats containing 70 people 1.5 miles from the
Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
As you can see, Jack did some amazing things! Here are a few his
thoughts worth reading:
“If you put the right fuel in your human machine and you exercise
regularly, it’s like putting money in the bank – the more you put
in, the more you can take out. Remember, you are a walking
billboard.”
“Exercise is king, nutrition is queen. Put the two together and
you’ve got a kingdom!”
“So many people over 40-50 years old think they’re over the hump.
They say, ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’m too old for this.’ It’s
ridiculous. There are more older people getting in shape now than
ever before.”
“Good health has got to start in school. We have to teach kids
pride and discipline in how they feel and what they do. Kids need
compulsory physical education in school and we have to get the junk
food out of school cafeterias. They learn bad habits when they’re
young, and by the time they reach 50, the bad habits have taken
their toll.”
“Ever read a label on canned soup? You can’t even pronounce all
those artificial ingredients and additives. And people put that in
their bodies and end up in the grave.”
“People have to learn about keeping in shape for life.”
Dr. Jack LaLanne was a great man who inspired many. He will be
missed, but his message will live on.
Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon,
Dr. Justin Trosclair
