Known worldwide as the "Godfather of Fitness," exercise and nutrition icon Jack Lalanne is celebrating 91 years of healthy living. From all appearances, he's still keeping at it. In the following report, NY1's Kafi Drexel finds out about what his secret is, and his latest mission to fight a growing health crisis among young people.
NYU Cancer Institute - October 03, 2005
He's the man who once performed more than 1,000 push-ups in just 23 minutes. He also swam underwater hand-cuffed and shackled, not once but several times, and sometimes tugging boatloads of people to show off his physical strength.
In 1936 he opened the first modern health club ever. And by 1951 he was spreading his message about fitness and healthy living to television audiences across America.
Fifty-four years later, on a visit to New York from his home state of California, Jack Lalanne is still at it. At the age of 91, Jack Lalanne can't seem to walk into a gym in America without still getting stopped by fans. With his trademark blue workout suit, Lalanne still works out two hours every day.
"I work at living," he says. "Any person can die. Dying is easy - don't exercise, don't eat right. You've got to have goals and challenges. You know, I just bought a new corvette sports car, would I put water in the gas tank? It wouldn't run, would it? How about your human machine? You got to put the right fuel in here. And the only way you hurt the body is don't use it - inactivity."
For Lalanne, the secret to healthy living hasn't just been about exercise. As a kid he was addicted to junk food, until he discovered juicing at the age of 16. He's even cobbled that into a major part of his career, selling millions of Jack Lalanne Power Juicers.
But in the prime of his life, it's not just adults Lalanne is hoping will catch onto his message. With growing concerns about child obesity, it's the younger generations - kids that were once like him - that he says he wants to reach as well.
"If you sit on your big fat backsides and watch television for hours and hours a day you're going to be fat, out of shape. You're not going to have any fun in life," he says. "You young kids, listen - this should be your prime. You should be enjoying every moment of the day. But you can't do it if you're fat and out of shape."
Sounds like tough talk, but their words he's lived by for most of his 91 years. But perhaps it's these words that will always drive the message home.
"Anything in life is possible if you make it happen," he says. "Remember, the food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow."
Jack Lalanne will be back in town Saturday, October 29th to kick of his "War on Childhood Obesity." That takes place at the U.S.S. Intrepid museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A variety of different events from yoga to basketball and healthy eating tips for kids will be offered.
- Kafi Drexel |
