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Top 10 ways Jack LaLanne shaped fitness

Kate Bongiovanni
1/25/2011 10:37 AM
He’s been called the founding father of fitness. His website labels him “The Godfather of Fitness.” He’s exercised well into old age and has been preaching physical fitness for far longer than some of us have been alive. The only problem is that until yesterday when it was announced that this legend passed away at age 96, you may not have realized who Jack LaLanne was and his impact on fitness.
What kind of impact? Take a look at these 10 ways he’s inspired us to stay, or get, fit.
  1. He opened the first modern health club in 1936.
  2. He invented the leg extension machine. What skier or rider doesn’t use one of these at the gym when getting in shape for the upcoming season?
  3. He invented one of the first cable/pulley machines and the weight selector. Talk about making weight training available for everyone, from those who can benchpress their mothers to others who can barely stretch the cables when they start.
  4. He preached the relationship between food and fitness as a way to personal well being. LaLanne coined the phrase, “Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.”
  5. He tagged his name to the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, one “As Seen on TV” items your body and mind are begging for. Forget those excuses that you can’t get enough fruits and veggies in your diet.
  6. His television program, The Jack LaLanne Show, featured everyday exercises you could do in your living room. Before FitTV, before Wii Fit and Kinect, before Jane Fonda, Jack LaLanne showed Americans how to flex their face muscles, whittle their waistlines and stretch their sore spots. Looking for an ankle roll after your feet have been boot-bound all day? Chances are LaLanne aired it on his show more than 50 years ago.
  7. He used ordinary objects at exercise apparatuses. Next time you’re on the road without a gym—or you’re trapped at home during a snowstorm—try LaLanne’s tried-and-true routines that work out with a towel, a broom and a chair.
  8. He inspired now-famous fitness peeps to follow in his footsteps. Denise Austin credits LaLanne for her big break; Arnold Schwarzenegger lost to him in a chin-up and push-up challenge when the former Calif. Governor was 21; The Biggest Loser’s Bob Harper remembers LaLanne from his early days in the fitness biz.
  9. His exercises can strengthen your ski and snowboard routine. Give yourself a burst of cardio with a round of jumping jacks. Harness crucial hip action with leg scissors. And firm the junk in the trunk with his Fannie Firmer.
  10.  He practiced what he preached. He quit eating sugar when he was a teenager and stuck to an unprocessed diet. He exercised regularly and ate healthy--even until the end said his agent.
That can only mean one thing: If we follow LaLanne’s advice, we could be hitting the slopes well into our golden years.
Photos from jacklalanne.com.

 

Tags: fitness
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