The quick answer: Want to live a full life? Exercise!
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The Boys in the Boat
I just finished this book, about a group of college boys who rose up against all odds to take gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Their sport was 8-man crew, the traditional sport of the East Coast elite. But the boys in the boat were from the West, small town kids of humble origins, struggling through the University of Washington during the Great Depression. They won an epic victory, defeating a Nazi-sponsored boat of older men before a scowling Adolf Hitler. There’ll be a movie for sure.
The timing was good for me—this post is about exercise. Thanks to rigorous training the boys lived long lives, except one who smoked and died of lung cancer. The Boys in the Boat offer a nice segue to this week’s theme—exercise!
Jack LaLanne
That’s not me in the picture—it’s Jack LaLanne, the guru of fitness who introduced exercise to America. LaLanne advocated good nutrition and exercise. Though he’s best remembered for his birthday endurance feats, he also had an early TV show showing all the exercises you could do using basic home equipment, like a chair.
Jack is no longer with us. He passed in 2011 at the age of 96 of pneumonia, though he had done his full exercise routine the day before. He likely would still be with us if he had agreed to see a doctor, a sad error of judgment. Still he left an important message: Muscles are part of good health.
It’s Good to Sweat
Whatever your age or condition, regular exercise will improve your health, and your appearance. The times are changing—it’s not cool to walk around with a muffin top hanging over your belt. America had an explosion of overweight and obesity in the ‘80s, after the introduction of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) that continued into the ‘90s. Now we’re facing an epidemic of diabetes, which often leads to heart disease. This is deadly serious business.
So be like the boys in the boat—exercise. It just might save your life.
