Do sports every day at the age of 97? You have to do that first! But it’s not for nothing that Elaine LaLanne is also known as the “First Lady of Fitness”.
Now let’s be honest: who is happy in the morning that they have to do as little as possible? It’s better to hit the snooze button three more times and skip breakfast – the main thing is to sleep a few minutes longer. And what about exercising in the morning? This thought is quickly pushed aside! But things are different with LaLanne, the “First Lady of Fitness”. Her day begins with a 20-minute fitness routine, as she tells the New York Times.
First exercise in bed…
While the 97-year-old is still in bed, she begins her exercise program. Really exemplary! To do this, she lies on her blanket and does jackknife sit-ups for the lower abdominal muscles. The exercise involves lifting one leg at a time while trying to touch the foot of that leg with the opposite hand. The upper body is raised slightly.
… it continues in the bathroom…
LaLanne then goes into the bathroom to use the sink as a training device. She supports herself on this and does oblique push-ups for the upper abdominal muscles. Once that’s done, she puts on her make-up – she’s in the bathroom anyway – and gets dressed.
…and it ends in the gym
For the final part of her fitness routine, LaLanne then heads to her home gym. There she runs uphill on the treadmill for a few minutes before doing lat pull-downs on the machine to train her back muscles. The handles are pulled down while standing with your arms almost outstretched, then the weight is moved up and down in a controlled manner while sitting.
After her sports program, the 97-year-old also stretches every day. For example, she uses the pull-up bar in her gym to “unhook” herself from it.
LaLanne has always been passionate about sports
However, it is not the case that the “First Lady of Fitness” only discovered exercise when she was older. After all, her name is not unknown, at least in the American sports scene. With her husband Jack LaLanne, who died in 2011, she was actively involved in the fitness industry for almost 60 years: in addition to selling her sports equipment and nutritional supplements, this also included a television show and operating a chain of gyms in over 100 locations.
Of course, Elaine LaLanne is no longer as active as she once was – but decades of intensive exercise and today’s training help her to be mobile, recover from falls and generally have a positive attitude. Because that’s also an inevitable part of everyday life for them: a positive mindset and belief in themselves. A routine and way of life that we can all certainly learn something from!
Sources used: nytimes.com, insider.com