He proved his point

“Your health account is your wealth account…Long live living long”

–Jack Lalanne

Though many triathletes try, few succeed in registering higher on the goofiness scale than the satin-skin-suit-clad fitness guru, Jack Lalanne.  I just couldn’t help grinning while I watched tonight’s evening-news recaps of his life; his grin and energy were infectious.  Just looking at his videos seems good for the heart.

The news said he finally died because of complications of pneumonia, but another more plausible explanation was that he finally succumbed to a broken heart.

What from?

From opening his eyes and seeing what is happening to the people.  His physical heart may have been strong enough to tow a boat across San Francisco bay, but his emotional heart may have cracked from the disappointment of bearing witness to our nation’s obesity epidemic.  Perhaps the final straw was seeing that fatness and immobility have even spread to our youth.

Some would let his goofiness trump his message.  Don’t let it.

He pedaled movement, and fruit-juicing, and smiles and mental engagement.  The last I read these tenets are known to prevent many of society’s most common medical problems, like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and even dementia.

Mr Schwarznenegger was spot-on when he said that Mr Lalanne left this world a better place than he found it.

And it’s a good bet that Mr Lalanne is already recommending exercise to God.

JMM