Fitness Pioneer Elaine LaLanne Opens Up About Losing Husband Jack and How She Stays Fit at 100
Fitness Pioneer Elaine LaLanne Opens Up About Losing Husband Jack and How She Stays Fit at 100
Angela AndaloroTue, April 7, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC
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Elaine and Jack LaLanne in the 1990s (left), and Elaine LaLanne in 2019Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage;Araya Diaz/Getty -
Elaine LaLanne and Jack LaLanne were married in Sept. 1954
Elaine has previously credited her late husband, who died in 2011, with changing her life with his devotion to fitness
Elaine recently celebrated her 100th birthday and tells Nostalgia Tonight's Joe Sibilia about managing grief and living a full life as a centenarian
Elaine LaLanne is making the most of her life at 100.
The fitness personality, who was brought into the industry by husband Jack LaLanne, recently appeared on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia podcast. Elaine, who turned 100 on March 19, talked about living life after Jack's death in 2011.
Elaine was no stranger to losing a loved one. Her daughter from a previous relationship, Janet, died at age 21 in a car accident in 1974.
“You accept, and then you persevere. You can't change it," she began.
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"I lost my daughter when she was 21," she continued. "I couldn't bring her back, so I figured I either got to have lots of pity parties or I can accept."
She added, “You must accept and persevere, and you've got to have positive thinking.”
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Elaine also shared how she's staying active at 100, revealing she does jackknives — a core exercise where you go from laying flat to raising both your arms and legs so that you can touch your toes in a V-shape — daily.
"I do 20 of those jack knives every day," she shared, noting she also makes an effort to do modified push-ups.
"I can't go down on the floor and do push-ups anymore, but… you can do push-ups against [the sink] —back and forth, back and forth," Elaine explained.
That said, Elaine does face certain physical challenges that she's very transparent about, noting, "I'm blind in one eye with macular degeneration… the other one is going blurry, and then I have a bone-on-bone leg that bothers me."
Managing her health at 100 taught her an important lesson about taking care of your body that applies at any age. She shared, "Do not put off until tomorrow what you could do today because I mean, I'm suffering right now with my right leg. I should've had a operation on it and shaved it out, but, you know me, we're always too busy. Always too busy. Now I'm taking the time for myself."
Another key to staying healthy and happy is continuing to dream, which Elaine is all about.
Sharing her goals, she said, "I've always wanted to tap dance... I wanted to learn French, Español. I wanted to I wanted to learn those two two things. But, anyway, you can't do everything in life. You do what you can and forge ahead. That's it."
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