Jack LaLanne, This Workout's For You!

On a recent Monday evening, I settled down with a glass of red wine and The New York Times. The lower right corner of the cover of the newspaper read "Jack LaLanne Is Dead at 96". I turned to page A25 to learn that Jack LaLanne, hailed as the father of the development of contemporary physical fitness, died on Sunday, January 23 of respiratory failure due to pneumonia. You can read the full article here.

So when I got up the following morning, I dedicated my Tuesday to Mr. LaLanne.
The day began with breakfast cooked by my husband: a glass of whipped orange juice and a bowl of oatmeal, made with banana, raisins, raw honey, and a dash of cinnamon (and a cup of coffee, something Mr. LaLanne never consumed, but I'm not ready to quit that yet). As we digested, we prepared ourselves for what turned out to be a 90-minute snowshoe adventure in Ringwood State Park; its countless trails made for an exciting and exploratory hike, as well as a vigorous workout.

My husband and I decided to wear our heart rate monitors, because every time we go out for a snowshoe trek, we really feel the effort in our muscles (this includes the heart muscle!). Both our heart rates measured within the limits of a moderate intensity workout. This level of activity improves aerobic fitness, which benefits the heart, lungs, muscles, as well as improves circulation. Read here to learn more about how to monitor your level of activity.

In addition to outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, running, walking, etc., I do love my workouts at Evolution Health and Fitness Weight Loss Studios. There I indulge in classes such as Group Cycling, EvoCardio Drill, and BodyPump®, and there I utilize equipment such as free weights and exercise machines that operate with pulleys, such as those invented by Mr. LaLanne, as well as stretch cords, similar to the Glamour Stretcher created by the fitness guru himself.

While my daily physical and nutritional habits are for the most part wholesome, I do slip and slide from time to time. But I believe that when a person, such as Mr. LaLanne, makes proper diet and exercise a way of living, one will only benefit from a long life, as proven by Mr. LaLanne.

I am motivated by Mr.LaLanne for the obvious reasons. However, what I didn't know before I read the newspaper article was that he graduated from a chiropractic school, and that he studied Gray's Anatomy in order to research the body's muscles.

I have a copy of my mother's Gray's Anatomy (every nurse needed one). As a massage therapist, I plan to sit down with the book to review and study the intricate design we call our body.

Dear Mr. LaLanne,
Thanks for your inspiration,
Stacy