Jack LaLanne on the secret to happiness

Jack LaLlane says the secret to happiness is to eat more fresh food, get more physical activity, and burst out in song in public from time to time. Link (Via grow-a-brain)

[#1 posted by Stefan Jones , March 21, 2008 1:52 PM]

I remember watching Jack's show on early-morning TV when I was a kid. He and his wife (?) and white German shepherd dog would . . . well, eat well, exercise, and sing, I guess. It's been an awfully long time . . .

[#2 posted by Enochrewt , March 21, 2008 1:59 PM]

And be crazy.

[#3 posted by Antinous , March 21, 2008 1:59 PM]

Good attitude. Great rack.

[#4 posted by Jeff , March 21, 2008 2:15 PM]

He is a vague memory in some black & white past, but I've always thought he served as a good role model. The fashions have changed a bit for men's active wear.

[#5 posted by schickm , March 21, 2008 3:06 PM]

I myself just got back from the gym and watched this, it put a smile on my face. And the CTA here in chicago would sure be a lot better if we all sang.

[#6 posted by phlavor , March 21, 2008 3:11 PM]

I've been through points of near homeless poverty and points of comparably great wealth and I'll have to back up Jack here. Money doesn't have one damned thing to do with happiness.

[#7 posted by zuzu , March 21, 2008 3:26 PM]

I've been through points of near homeless poverty and points of comparably great wealth and I'll have to back up Jack here. Money doesn't have one damned thing to do with happiness.

I've been through the same, and I respectfully disagree. Instead I've found this aphorism to be most accurate: "I've been rich and I've been poor. Believe me, rich is better."

Disclosure: Currently I am far from rich.

[#8 posted by ahosek , March 21, 2008 3:30 PM]

Jack LaLanne rocks. If people had taken what he's saying to heart in the 50s we'd be a whole hell of a lot better off.

[#9 posted by Chinese Jet Pilot , March 21, 2008 3:49 PM]

He's (still) living proof.

[#10 posted by Wareq , March 21, 2008 3:51 PM]

I burst out in song in public all the time. Now for the other two...

[#11 posted by scottfree , March 21, 2008 3:56 PM]

and he forgot playing star trek on the underground. Seriously, tumbling from side to side in an upright moving train while bemused or annoyed commuters watch is hilarious.

I save that for particularly rainy days.

[#12 posted by kingzilch , March 21, 2008 3:57 PM]

I can think of worse ways to live.

And in general, I wouldn't say rich is necessarily better, but I'd be happy enough with reasonably prosperous.

[#13 posted by jdixon , March 21, 2008 4:01 PM]

Jack never changed his style, which speaks for the level of confidence he had in his message. It was always more than just a way to make a buck for Jack. I too remember him from childhood. Someday we will all wear stretch jumpsuits!

[#14 posted by saint_al , March 21, 2008 4:22 PM]

One white German Shepherd on the show was named WALTER, acronym for "We All Love To Exercise Regularly".
(Talk about useless F recall, lol.)

[#15 posted by pentomino , March 21, 2008 4:27 PM]

So, where in the happiness plan does it fit in to read pages and pages of educated, authoritative commentary on why the economy of the country I love has been gutted by the plutocrats, and soon none but the richest billionaires will have so much as a pot to piss in, and there's nothing we the people can do to stop it?

Just wondering, because as a code monkey who's got nothing but a 401(k) in USD to show for his life, and moderate programming skills, it's very likely that when the depression comes, I'll be the palest jar of jerky in my survivalist friend's cabin in the woods.

[#16 posted by Stacyj , March 21, 2008 4:43 PM]

Funny, I woke up to that Jack LaLanne/juicer infomercial this morning (having forgotten to turn off the TV last night) - I love that he ends that thing with a little song just like in the old days, so cheestastic!

[#17 posted by Stolia , March 21, 2008 4:54 PM]

Jack Lalanne was on NPR the other day - I caught it on a podcast - and although I've never heard of him before, I'm very impressed with any senior citizen who can do more pushups than I've ever been able to do and smile while doing them.

[#18 posted by johndingle , March 21, 2008 5:02 PM]

I can say that exercise is as good for relieving anxiety as lorazepam was for me in the 90s.

[#19 posted by noen , March 21, 2008 6:08 PM]

pentomino - The happiness plan comes by way of letting go of attachments. Let the greedy fuckers have their money. Let them cling to it for dear life and watch as it pulls them down to the bottom of the ocean. Stay up here on the surface where the life is.

[#20 posted by zuzu , March 21, 2008 6:14 PM]

Coffee Cart Man: Hey buddy. You forgot your change.

Joe Moore: [Takes the change] Makes the world go round.

Bobby Blane: What's that?

Joe Moore: Gold.

Bobby Blane: Some people say love.

Joe Moore: Well, they're right, too. It is love. Love of gold.

[#21 posted by Takuan , March 21, 2008 7:07 PM]

Pentomino and Noen:
Don't fret how things are going. There is and will be discomfort, but it is not in the nature of man to accept injustice and servitude forever. We do much that is appalling and selfish, but there hasn't been a generation yet that willing sold or gave away their children's future forever.

Yep, the tricky and greedy are going to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. For a time.

[#22 posted by noen , March 22, 2008 12:01 AM]

I sure hope you're right Takuan.

Back OT, there is a lot to be learned from Jack. He lead a healthy 50's style life, rational diet, exercise and enjoy life. Kind of hard to argue with the results too. The man is 93 and in better shape than I am. He could kick my ass. Hell, I bet he could kick Chuck Norris' ass.

[#23 posted by starcadia , March 22, 2008 1:18 AM]

The man speaks the truth. But it's a truth that's spoken so many times that it tends to become an invisible installation. You can only look at a food pyramid so many times before you forget what you're looking at. And happiness is so much more complex than just good food and exercise, even if they are major components. And if one is willing to fight a losing battle with the entropy involved, then money can certainly play a role in happiness, temporarily.

But honestly, you have to be a saint to be consistently happy on public transportation, much less in a the singing mood. People who sing on the train are annoying. I prefer the people who dance.

[#24 posted by HornCologne , March 22, 2008 4:12 AM]

Amen to that, Jack! You tell 'em!

Exercise more, type less (mea culpa), no more MSG, HFC, KFC, chili cheese ranch fries and all the rest of it!

I'm going to finish off last night's broccoli now ... no, really.

[#25 posted by RJ , March 22, 2008 2:06 PM]

Y'know, I needed to see that little video today. I know old Jack was considered a little cheesy by some people, but his message is spot-on, and still relevant to us today.

People need to stop measuring their self-worth in bank statements and start living.

[#26 posted by Lex10 , March 23, 2008 1:37 PM]

Jack LaLanne is the MAN!

[#27 posted by Editz , March 23, 2008 2:49 PM]

@StaceyJ:

Did LaLanne take over the Juicer franchise from Jay Kordich?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y0gVYKupA

[#28 posted by Brett Burton , March 24, 2008 10:22 AM]

@#5

"the CTA here in chicago would sure be a lot better if we all sang."

I live in New York and people sing on the trains here all the time. Trust me, it sucks. I would give anything not to have crazy people singing jesus songs, alterna metal guys with wireless headset microphones, the off-key singing, off-time clapping, bob marley singing guy, etc. etc.

It only takes one person singing loud for me to not be able to read or hear my ipod, can't imagine what everyone singing would be like.