Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne Dies at Age 96

“The Godfather of Fitness,” this is what people dubbed Jack LaLanne, was an American fitness, exercise, nutritional expert and motivational speaker. He published numerous books on fitness and hosted a fitness television show between 1951 and 1985.

LaLanne gained recognition for his success as a bodybuilder as well as for his prodigious feats of strength. He was inducted to the California Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For almost 34 years, LaLanne presented fitness and exercise advice on television. “The Jack LaLanne Show” was the longest running television exercise program. It began as a local program on San Francisco’s ABC television station, KGO-TV, but eventually was carried on the ABC network nationwide.

But just this Sunday, the fitness guru died at the age of 96. According to his longtime agent Rick Hersh, Jack LaLanne died at his home in Morro Bay on California’s central coast because of respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

In a written statement of his wife Elaine LaLanne, she said, “I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for.”

Remembering LaLanne’s popularity year 1990, he once said, “”I never think of my age, never, I could be 20 or 100. I never think about it, I’m just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns. They’re more productive than they’ve ever been in their whole lives right now.”

Jack LaLanne was really an active gym enthusiast, and various famous Hollywood like Arnold Schwarzenegger give credits to his life as being a fitness guru.

“He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise,” Schwarzenegger said in 1990.

“It’s a lifestyle, it’s something you do the rest of your life,” LaLanne said. “How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it.”

Rest (–foul word(s) removed–)ured, although Jack LaLanne is dead, his memories will never be forgotten by many who adores his image and his life.