![Lalannexfull](https://www.advocate.com/media-library/lalannexfull.jpg?id=32718423&width=1200&height=1569)
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Jack LaLanne, an icon of the modern physical fitness movement, died Sunday at age 96 at his home in California.
The cause of death was respiratory failure resulting from pneumonia, The New York Times reported in an obituary.
LaLanne, a San Francisco native, first became famous for The Jack LaLanne Show, which debuted in 1951 and continued into the mid-1980s. He counseled Americans on working out and nutrition before the subjects were commonplace.
"Long before Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda and the Atkins diet, Mr. LaLanne was a national celebrity, preaching regular exercise and proper diet," according to the Times. "Expanding on his television popularity, he opened dozens of fitness studios under his name, later licensing them to Bally. He invented the forerunners of modern exercise machines like leg-extension and pulley devices. He marketed a Power Juicer to blend raw vegetables and fruits and a Glamour Stretcher cord, and he sold exercise videos and fitness books. He invited women to join his health clubs and told the elderly and the disabled that they could exercise despite their limitations."
His more memorable feats including swimming from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf at age 60 while handcuffed, shackled and pulling a 1,000-pound boat. At age 70, he towed 70 boats carrying 70 people through Long Beach Harbor while handcuffed and shackled once again.
LaLanne is survived by his wife, Elaine, two sons, and a daughter.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
21+ steamy photos of Scotland’s finest gay men in Elska Glasgow
February 01 2024 10:07 PM
More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms
May 12 2024 11:44 AM
Latest Stories
Joe Biden sends queer lawmakers & LGBTQ+ allies to Paris Olympics
July 24 2024 12:08 PM
Kamala Harris rides wave of Democratic energy at kickoff event in Wisconsin
July 23 2024 3:36 PM