Famous Fitness Fads

JACK LALANNE

Editor's Note: On Sunday, January 23, 2011, Jack LaLanne died at the age of 96.

Jane Fonda gets a lot of credit for bringing fitness and exercise into the mainstream, but Jack LaLanne was working out while Fonda was in diapers. And no, that’s not an exaggeration: The 96-year-old LaLanne opened his first health gym in California in 1936, and from there built a fitness empire — at one point his name adorned more than 200 fitness gyms (called Jack LaLanne’s European Health Spas) around the country.

He was also a TV pioneer: His syndicated The Jack LaLanne Show was TV’s first regularly scheduled workout program. It ran from 1951 to 1985, giving LaLanne an astounding, Guinness World Record–setting 34-year nonstop run as host of a TV program. He flexed his muscles in the marketing realm as well, appearing in commercials hawking everything from exercise equipment to juicers. His fitness exploits led President John F. Kennedy to name him a founding member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1963. Forty-four years later, the same group presented LaLanne with a Lifetime Achievement Award. LaLanne is also a member of the National Fitness Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, LaLanne celebrated his 95^th birthday with the release of the book Live Young Forever, which focuses on his longevity and offers advice on how to remain active as you age.