LaLanne Exhorts Seniors to Tend to Their Bodies

There he stood, the Superman of the senior set.

A hush fell on the audience of about 250--all who were at or nearing retirement age. For them, the man on the stage, Jack LaLanne, was more than just a speaker at a retirement symposium at Plummer Auditorium. He was a beacon of hope.

LaLanne, looking 20 years younger than his age, strode energetically to the microphone. He was wearing a close-fitting outfit that accentuated his muscles and lithe frame.

“I’m here for one reason, and one reason only, and that is for you,” LaLanne told the audience. “I’m 75 years old, and I’ve spent 60 years in this profession of nutrition and exercise.”

Nutrition and exercise had been good to him, keeping him young and active, LaLanne said. It could also make the lives of those in the audience healthier and happier, he said.

“The most priceless possession we have is our body,” LaLanne said.

Many, if not most, in the audience had seen LaLanne on television for years. Long before Jane Fonda and the myriad other exercise shows of the past 10 years, LaLanne appeared on TV in the early 1950s, the first to use the medium to extol the benefits of workouts. Many of his feats became gee-whiz news media features over the years. At age 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, while handcuffed and shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

At 66, LaLanne swam in the waters off North Miami, towing 10 boats filled with a total of 77 people for more than a mile in less than an hour. At 70, he swam in Long Beach Harbor, towing 70 boats with 70 people for 1 1/2 miles while handcuffed and shackled.

This, then, was no ordinary retiree. Indeed, LaLanne told the senior-citizen audience that the worst thing they could do was to do nothing. “The only way you can hurt the body is not to use it,” he said.

In a strong, commanding voice, LaLanne then gave tips on how to stay fit and healthy:

* Stay slim. “Fat is F-A-T. It’s fatal, awful, terrible.”

* Eat a good breakfast. “Would you get your dog up in the morning and give him a cup of coffee, a cigarette and a doughnut? Of course not. You’d kill the dog if you did that.”

* Avoid processed foods. “I know many of you are confused about nutrition. I’m going to make it easy for you: If it’s man-made, don’t eat it.”

* Exercise regularly. “It’s got to be for at least 15 to 30 minutes (per exercise period).”

For those who zealously pursue exercise and good nutrition, the sky’s the limit, LaLanne said. “Anything is possible,” he said. “Anything.”

LaLanne, a resident of Morro Bay near San Luis Obispo, no longer has a regular TV show. But he still travels all over the nation for appearances and speeches. The symposium he spoke to on Monday was sponsored by Morningside of Fullerton, a retirement community.

In planning for retirement, include your body in the plans, LaLanne said.

“Wherever you go, your body--your buddy--goes with you,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be a nice thing to take care of it?”