No, I’m not kidin’. Jack Lalane’s death over the weekend has made me think about just how true it is that old things and old ways are far better than our newfangled plastic world.
Now, I’m already pretty much of a throwback, having been variously described as a Neanderthal, a caveman, a Luddite, and, by those who wish to be kind, retro, and I am all of those and probably more.
But I get in a hurry, and I skim, both in my talk and in my actions. It’s not that I don’t believe in what I say or do, I just have a tendency to get in a hurry and hit the high spots.
Jack Lalane didn’t get in a hurry, and he didn’t “hit the high spots”. In short, he didn’t skim.
I remember watching Jack Lalane back when I was little more than knee high. I don’t really know what I liked about him at that point. I was around 10 years old, a bit young to be a fitness buff, but there was something about his show that I actually liked watching. Maybe it was just all the energy, I don’t know, but I was always in front of that black and white console TV watching Lalane show American mothers how to stay fit. Looking back, what was really amazing (though I didn’t realize it at the time) was that Lalane was 50 years old even then.
Now, though, I find that there are two things about Jack Lalane that I find inspirational:
First, he was living proof that it didn’t take every newfangled exercise machine in the world, every exercycle, every treadmill, every stair stepper, every nutritional supplement, every protein rich shake this and nutrient dense bar that…in order to stay in shape.
Jack Lalane showed us that if you want to lose weight you simply burn more calories than you take in, and you could burn those calories with little more than a straight back chair and a 3 foot piece of stretchy cord. He would have been the nightmare of every 3:00 AM infomercial pitch man in the world (including Billy Mays, my hero and a Great American, RIP).
The second thing Jack Lalane taught us was that in our quest for good nutrition there was one cardinal rule:
“if God didn’t make it, you don’t put it in your body.”
Now, Jack Lalane is dead and the country (including me) is fat.
See… I told you Retro Is Right.
Related articles
- Jack LaLanne, Fitness Pioneer, Dies At 96 (mtv.com)
- Paying Tribute to Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne (athleticrepublic.com)
Rest In Peace Jack. I also watched him as a youth, in good ol’ black n white. He was sellin’ those 3 foot stretchy cords back then. They were Jack Lalane Stretchy Cords. He was also pushing a juicer on Cable until the bitter end. But not holding that against him. Jack Lalane was a positive image, and had a positive message: you too can take control over the most basic thing in life, your body. He was living proof you could do it. Walked the walk, while talking the talk.
Well Said Bob. jack LaLane was a very interesting guy who still did feats of strength and fitness well into his 90’s. Definitely someone to have on the list of positive inspirations.
I have recently gone to the same food philosophy, if it isn’t natural I don’t eat it. somewhere the guys at Kraft are crying because my kids don’t eat mac and cheese anymore. It has made a big difference in the overall health and well being of the family. Not to mention how good it is for my daughters transplanted kidney. preservatives are bunk.
And as for old school fitness, not much is more old school than a lump of iron that has no purpose but to accept gravity, forcing you to overcome it.
The old school is the best school for most of the things in this life. Except computers.
RIP Jack LaLane…..
Ya just gotta watch out for “gimmicky” natural vs real natural. There are two ways to know what to eat:
Read and follow the book “The Maker’s Diet” by Jordan Rubin. Most christian book stores sll it in paperback for around $5.00, or go to his website and ask for it and he’ll mail you a hardback for free, or…
Just ask me…LOL…
Seriously, you wouldn’t believe what is touted as “good” when it’s really horrible for you…soy, for instance.
Bob,
It is hard to believe that Jack Lalane could die. It just can’t be so. There was always a fascination about Jack. His body didn’t look real and who would really do those crazy things he recommended. Still, it does seem to have worked for him. Ok Bob, I’m waiting for the video where you pull a freight train with your teeth. Then I will know that you got it.
Teeth? What teeth? I live in Appalachia, remember? Didn’t you watch “Deliverance”?
Oh yeah…I forgot how old you are. You probably watched “Deliverance” but have forgotten most of it…
Bob,
Thankfully, I have forgotten most of it.
Damn. I’m old. I remember black and white TV. Damn. I’m old.