Jack LaLanne, founder of modern physical fitness movement, dies at 96

Jack LaLanne, whose obsession with grueling workouts and good nutrition, complemented by a salesman's gift, brought him recognition as the founder of the modern physical fitness movement, died Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay, Calif. He was 96.

The cause was respiratory failure resulting from pneumonia, said his son Dan Doyle.

A self-described emotional and physical wreck while growing up in the San Francisco area, Mr. LaLanne began turning his life around, as he often told it, after hearing a talk on proper diet when he was 15, according to New York Times.

The cause of death was respiratory failure resulting from pneumonia, his son Dan Doyle told the paper.

The Jack LaLanne Show was the forerunner of the modern fitness show and made its debut in 1951 as a local program in the San Francisco area. It went nationwide on daytime television in 1959 making LaLanne's short-sleeved jumpsuit nationally recognized.

His show continued into the mid-1980s and continues in reruns on ESPN Classic. In his later years, he appeared in late-night infomercials pitching the benefits of juicing, Hollywood Reporter says.