Jack LaLanne, an American fitness icon, has passed away at age 96. LaLanne was a fixture of exercise culture: He founded a national chain of gyms bearing his name, marketed a juicer, and was a staple on TV from the ‘50s to the ‘70s. At age 60, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco-handcuffed and towing a boat behind him. LaLanne remained active throughout his golden years, preaching the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet. In 1990, he said, “I never think of my age, never. I could be 20 or 100. I never think about it, I’m just me.”
Also in Slate, Emily Yoffe scissor-kicks to
Jack LaLanne’s vintage fitness videos
and writes that he was ahead of his time
not only physically but psychologically, and the Brow Beat blog notes that
LaLanne credited his health
“to a lifelong devotion to ‘clean thoughts and dirty girls.’ ”
