What Jack LaLanne Taught Me About Building a Kingdom

Source: Flickr (cc) nathancremisino

Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom. —Jack LaLanne

Fitness King Jack LaLanne passed away this week. His New York Times obit called him “the founder of the modern fitness movement.”  At 96 he was in better shape than most people half that age.

As he got older Mr. LaLanne used publicity stunts to let the world know he was still in very good shape. At 60 he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf. Not a big deal? He did it handcuffed and towing a boat that weighed 1,000 lbs. At 70 he swam through Long Beach Harbor towing 70 people in 70 boats. A lot of people in their 70s are happy if they have the flexibility to tie their own shoes.

His fitness regime was about as simple as it comes: eat healthfully and exercise every day. Nutrition is the Queen. Exercise is the King.

This is very good advice for a person with diabetes.

Okay, so maybe he took this regime to an extreme. Most would find his personal diet of egg whites, oatmeal, fruit, green salad and fish a bit spartan. But staying with fresh, whole food is do-able and much healthier than eating processed food. And very few of us will spend two hours each day exercising. But we can (and should!) be active physically and mentally every day.

Personally, I have hit a wall in managing my blood sugars. I have been within spitting distance of tight control for a very long time. After thinking about how Jack LaLanne kept fit I realize now that I have paid a lot of attention to the Queen and have ignored the King. Because of this I’m stuck outside the Kingdom of Tight Control.

To get over the threshold I need to pay attention to the King. I need to add exercise to my daily routine.