Jack Lalanne, Where Are You?

April 19, 2017

We are confronted by all the experts telling us we need to do this and eat this and stay fit and live a long and happy life. Choices and more choices and decisions and more confusion.   I heard on the radio today a doctor telling me his secret to working out. He is saying you should work out with a friend for encouragement. It would help if you also changed up your exercise routine every so often to keep it fresh. It goes on and on. It doesn't stick in my head because it all becomes noise after all these years.

I am no doctor, or physical trainer, professional athlete, but I have been exercising for my whole life. I have also had stretches where I have done no exercise except maybe push a lawnmower which I considered physical activity. Does going to the grocery store count?  I know it does on my Fitbit. I have tried so many different routines and purchased a plethora of equipment that could outfit a gym.

I saw an advertisement for an exercise program for 8 minutes a day. I have to laugh because there seems to be a race to develop the shortest routine. We are getting close to the five-minute work out. Just purchase the DVDs for $49.99 and the dieting guide to own a killer body in two weeks. It's coming, trust me, so is the one-minute workout.

I have thought long and hard about this so-called fitness noise. Like most people, you want to feel good, strong, and flexible and have good health. Simple enough. The real secret is that it doesn't take hours of torture and ways to trick yourself into working out. You can do fifteen minutes of old-fashioned calisthenics like Jack Lalanne used to do every day on his television programs. You don't need to pump endless iron and do an hour of the Daily Method. If you like it, then good for you. Suppose you want to spend hours every week doing yoga in a hot room with dozens of other people, great for you. But never try to convince yourself that you need to do it to survive and be in good physical health.

I see ads for the ultimate torture-type exercise program that will make you into a rock-hard muscle machine. Great, do it.  But can you consistently do it for very long? Probably not. Once you stop, you have to get back on that program and start at the bottom rung again. It's like yo-yo dieting. Best that you do a moderate to easy routine daily or every other day and keep it going. The dividends will pay off higher in the long run.

You ever see those older Asian people doing Tai Chi in the park. It looks simple, right? Well, it's supposed to be. They are performing consistent movements with their body that keeps them strong and limber. Look up Jack Lalanne and see what he has to offer. It’s a beautiful thing to see the simplicity of his message.