To Your Health
December, 2007 (Vol. 01, Issue 12) |
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The Fountain of Youth
By Editorial Staff
Scientists can speculate on what it takes to live well into your 90s, but why not ask someone who's done it? In this exclusive interview, learn how Jack La Lanne, the 93-year-old "Godfather of Fitness," stays in better shape than most 20-somethings.
What exercise and nutrition recommendations do you have for people looking to improve their health and lifestyle?
Exercise is king, nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom! You have approximately 640 muscles in your body and they all need their share of work. Exercise helps build up those muscles. If I were to recommend an overall exercise for the body, it would be swimming. You do not have to be an excellent swimmer to exercise in water. If you do not have access to water, I recommend weight training, and I'm a big believer in vigorous walking. If you can do push-ups or chin-ups, those also are good overall exercises. If you have access to circuit training, even better. As far as nutrition is concerned, if you eat right you can't go wrong. The food you eat today you are wearing tomorrow, or the food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow. If you put the right fuel in your human machine and you exercise regularly, it's like putting money in the bank - the more you put in, the more you can take out. Remember, you are a walking billboard.
What kind of workout do you do?
I work out one hour with weights and I spend another hour doing water exercises in the pool, rain or shine. I completely change my program every 30 days. You don't have to be a crackpot and work out like I do two hours every day, but if you can't stand 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week to take care of your most priceless possession - your body - you've got to be sick.
We travel so much and I lecture all over the world. Every hotel has a gym now, so I never miss a workout. And I hate it! But, I like the results. Dying is easy; you have to work at living. Life is an athletic event. You have to really be in shape for it.
What is your diet like?
If man makes it, I don't eat it. I eat 10 raw vegetables in a chopped salad and five pieces of fresh fruit. All my grain has to be 100 percent whole grain. I get my protein from cooked egg whites and fish, and I use my juicer at least five times a week.
I just bought a new sports car. Would I put water in the gas tank? How about your human body? People have to learn about keeping in shape for life. Living is tough. People believe what they see, hear and read. Sugar products with preservatives and artificial coloring are advertised to kids. And you wouldn't give that to your dog. Ever read a label on canned soup? You can't even pronounce all those artificial ingredients and additives. And people put that in their bodies and end up in the grave.
