Fitness Hall of Fame

American Fitness, Jan, 1999 by Raymond Horwitz

A retrospective of people, innovations and institutions celebrating 15, 30 and-in one case-more than 60 years as pioneers, trendsetters and leaders in the fitness industry.

60

Jack LaLanne--After More Than 60 Years, He's Still Going Strong

At 84, Jack LaLanne is often called the "Godfather of Fitness." From the young age of 15, he started absorbing information on fitness and the human body, reading Grey's Anatomy like it was scripture. In college he studied pre-med and chiropractic. In 1936, at the young age of 21, LaLanne opened the nation's first modern health studio in Oakland, California. "I was 40 years ahead of my time," he says. "But by then, I knew more about the workings of the muscles in my body than most doctors. People thought I was a charlatan and a nut. The doctors were against me, saying that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and diminish their sex drive. What I was doing was scientifically correct, starting with a healthy diet. Now everyone knows it. Today, all the world class athletes work out with weights."

LaLanne's reputation and motivational message spread to the masses via television in the early 1950s. Through this new medium, he was able to share his belief in daily, vigorous, systematic exercise and proper diet. "My top priority in life is my daily workout," he says.

More than 60 years after opening his first health club, LaLanne's latest project is Jack LaLanne's Forever Young: Exercise at Any Age, featuring 10 separate exercise segments plus some helpful tips on fitness and nutrition. He's still coming up with incredible new ideas and exercise programs, lecturing worldwide and inspiring people to greater heights through exercise and nutrition. "It's most gratifying to see that everything I was advocating over 50 years ago is coming to fruition," he says. "Back then, I was a crackpot and charlatan. Today, I am an authority. And I can't die, of course. It would ruin my image."

30

Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H.'s Aerobics Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H. released Aerobics in 1968, initiating the aerobics phenomenon. Since then, he has advocated the medical field's transition from disease treatment to disease prevention through aerobic exercise. "It's easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet and emotional balance than to regain it once lost," he says.

His classic Aerobics changed the lives of millions-male and female, young and old, healthy and sick-by showing how aerobic exercise could help them achieve a lifetime of maximum health, fitness and well-being. As a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and director of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory in San Antonio, Texas, Cooper developed the 12-minute test and Aerobics Point System that led to the book. Today, the Army, Navy, Secret Service, several foreign military organizations, many U.S. and foreign corporations and more than 2,500 universities and public schools utilize his program.

Through the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas and his 15 books, Cooper continues his personal mission to educate and encourage optimum health in as many segments of the population as possible. His latest projects include Cooper Aerobics Ventures-which provides professional health industry consultation to individuals and business groups-and Cooper Concepts, Inc., which develops and markets health-related products.

30

Jazzercise[R] Celebrates 30 Years at Dance-Fitness Forefront

The wheels are in motion at Jazzercise, where plans for i999 celebrations honoring the company's 30th anniversary as the world's largest dance-fitness program are being fine-tuned, Invitations to Jazzerjam '99 in San Diego, California on August 5-8, 1999 are being distributed to their vast student and instructor network throughout the U.S. and 38 countries worldwide. More than 4,000 attendees are expected to join the festivities.

"Jazzercise is so happy and proud to be reaching this milestone as the leader in dance fitness for the past 30 years. Our invitation to this anniversary fitness `party' is open to everyone," says Missett, whose invitation promotes the goals of Jazzercise's long-term mission, Vision 2000. The project mission states, "People participate in Jazzercise in every community worldwide every day. Dynamic instructors teach well-attended classes and make a positive impact on people's lives."

The original Jazzercise dance exercise program, which is accredited by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), offers a blend of jazz dance and exercise science set to a variety of music, including pop, jazz, country, funk and classics. Easy-to-follow, fun choreography includes a gentle warm up, 30-minute aerobic workout, a muscle toning and strengthening session with weights and a stretch finale.

Jazzercise is the world's largest dance fitness program, with more than 4,700 instructors teaching 19,000 classes weekly to 450,000 students in 38 countries around the globe. For more information about Jazzerjam '99 and Jazzercise, call (760) 434-2101. For worldwide class information, visit http://www.jazzercise.com or call (800) FIT-IS-IT.