Fitness Icon Jack LaLanne Dies at 96

Fitness icon Jack LaLanne died Sunday at the age of 96. He passed away at his home in Morro Bay, California, from respiratory failure caused by pneumonia. He exercised right up until the end.

Jack LaLanne's Life of Dedication to Fitness

Jack LaLanne began his fitness odyssey at the age of 15 when, after hearing health food pioneer Paul Bragg talk about nutrition, he began to focus on diet and exercise. After graduating college with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Jack opened his first health spa in Oakland, California in 1937. In the 1980's his gyms numbered over 200 and were sold to the Bally corporation, eventually becoming Bally's Total Fitness gyms.

For 34 years "The Jack LaLanne Show" inspired Americans to get up off the couch and exercise. Mr. LaLanne was the first person to introduce exercise and eating right to the American public. His pioneering efforts in the fitness industry earned him widespread respect and esteem in the eyes of Americans.

In the days that Jack LaLanne was on TV, no one else was talking about fitness and nutrition. There were few gyms in the United States, and none of them had the polished look of today's fitness gyms. I remember clearly watching Mr. LaLanne on black-and-white television when I was a child and being mesmerized by his energy and enthusiasm. Many years later fitness and exercise would become a big part of my life, perhaps due in part to being introduced to healthy concepts at a young age.

Jack LaLanne Astounded Americans with His Feats of Fitness

Jack LaLanne went on to set high standards in the fitness industry. In 1955 at the age of 41 Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco - handcuffed. In 1974 at the age of 60 he repeated the feat but on this second occasion he was also shackled - and towed a 1,000 lb. boat.

Not satisfied with towing just one boat, in 1984 at the age of 70 Mr. LaLanne towed 70 rowboats plus a number of guests from Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary. As if that weren't enough, he was handcuffed, shackled, and fought strong currents and high winds during the arduous one mile swim.

In 1956 Jack LaLanne astounded even the fittest Americans - and set a world record - by performing 1,033 push -ups in just 23 minutes on live television. He was 42. A few years later he did 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes. Regardless of the time, I doubt there are few if any Americans alive today that can do either 1,000 push-ups or 1,000 chin-ups.

Jack LaLanne's Awards Earned Him the Nickname "Father of Fitness"

Jack LaLanne received a number of awards and honors during his lifetime, including an inaugural induction into the National Fitness Hall of Fame, induction into the California Hall of Fame, the Academy of Body Building and Fitness award, the State of California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award. In 2002 at the age of 88 Jack LaLanne received a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame.

Of all the accomplishments of Jack LaLanne's life, none can compare to the massive impact he has had on American awareness of fitness and health. To Jack LaLanne, the pioneering "Father of Fitness", we owe a debt of gratitude for the wide variety of gyms, health spas, and nutrition programs that we enjoy today.

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