Media Release: Jack LaLanne Jumping Jack Challenge—9,363 Jumpers Worldwide!

Estimated 9,363 Jumpers Worldwide participated in

“Jack LaLanne Jumping Jacks Challenge”

breaking the World Simultaneous Jumping Jacks Record by over 7,000!

On July 12, 2024 at 1 pm PT, the “First Lady of Fitness” Elaine LaLanne (Fitness Pioneer Jack LaLanne’s wife of 51 years), Jack LaLanne family members, and many of the world’s most famous and respected fitness leaders, joined IDEA® Health & Fitness Association’s 2024 IDEA® World Health & Fitness Convention presenters, exhibitors and attendees – and thousands more via online streaming – in breaking the world record for the, “Most People Performing Jumping Jacks Simultaneously.”

Known as the “Jack LaLanne Jumping Jacks Challenge” (JLJJC), an estimated 9,363 participants executed (1-98 depending on ability) Jumping Jacks en masse, worldwide, at the same time – surpassing the previous world record by at least 7,112 people!

JLJJC video news release and participant highlights: https://bit.ly/JLJJCVNR.

(JLJJC LA Convention Center Video courtesy of Unrealistic Ideas Production Company; with supporting video clips from JLJJC volunteers).

“I’m overwhelmed, and our LaLanne family is honored, by the participation and success of the ‘Jack LaLanne Jumping Jacks Challenge’ (JLJJC) event,” states Elaine LaLanne. “When the idea of breaking the world jumping jacks record in honor of Jack, and in celebration of my 98th birthday was raised, I knew it could happen in partnership with IDEA! I was elated and ecstatic when IDEA CEO Amy Thompson enthusiastically offered to host the main event at the 2024 IDEA World Health & Fitness Convention. IDEA and our JLJJC volunteers worked tirelessly and overtime to promote it! So it was both thrilling and humbling to see the L.A. Convention Center full of jumpers on July 12th. When Amy announced we broke the world record, I was overjoyed! I thank everyone at IDEA, the JLJJC volunteers, and jumpers around the world, from the bottom of my athletic heart!” 

The JLJJC campaign was launched with the dual goals of honoring the legacy of Jack LaLanne (considered the founder of the modern fitness industry; and “Jumping Jacks” namesake); and celebrating Elaine “LaLa” LaLanne’s recent 98th birthday. “Jumping Jacks" were popularized by Jack and Elaine LaLanne through the very first, nationally syndicated exercise television show, “The Jack LaLanne Show” (1951-1984).

IDEA Health and Fitness Association hosted the primary JLJJC jump site at the “IDEA World Health & Fitness Convention” in the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) – which was also livestreamed worldwide.

Joining Elaine and the LaLanne family at IDEA World to lead the jumpers included IDEA CEO and owner Amy Thompson, and such esteemed fitness and entertainment leaders as:

• Fitness TV Star & Publisher of “Fit Over 50” Magazine Denise Austin

• “Bodies in Motion” & 2024 IDEA Jack & Elaine LaLanne Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Gilad Janklowicz

• “P90X” Star & 2016 IDEA Jack LaLanne Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient  Tony Horton

• "Tai Bo Nation" Star & 2022 Jack LaLanne Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Billy Blanks

• “Fitness Quest Ten” & 2017 Jack LaLanne Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Todd Durkin

• Motivational Speaker & Healthy Lifestyle Personality Dr. Forbes Riley

• CNN, Fox News & Univision Health Expert Dr. Fab Mancini

• “The Curvy Girl” & 2022 IDEA Emerging Trailblazer of the Year Lacee Green

• National Fitness Foundation Board Chair, Olympian & Sports Illustrated “Sportswoman of the Year” Dr. Judi Brown Clarke

• Professional Surfer, Surf Board Manufacturer & Jack & Elaine LaLanne’s Son Jon LaLanne

• Multiple Fitness Equipment Inventor & 2022 IDEA Fitness Leader of the Year Pete Holman

• National Fitness Hall of Famer & Celebrity Trainer Dan Isaacson

• Jack & Elaine LaLanne’s Nephew Chris LaLanne

“IDEA’s global community of fitness professionals have greatly benefited from the legacies of Jack and Elaine LaLanne,” states Thompson. “Their guiding principles of lifelong health and fitness at every age, are as true and important now, as they were when Jack first launched ‘The Jack LaLanne Show.’ So, when the idea was presented to honor them by breaking the world jumping jacks record, we literally jumped at the chance! It was an incredible, history-making effort; and we are proud to have facilitated the main event!”

Also in attendance and filming the LA event was a documentary film crew from Actor/Producer Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas Production Company.  The LaLanne Family and Mark Wahlberg are co-producing an upcoming documentary about Jack LaLanne’s life and career; followed by a feature film starring Wahlberg as the Fitness Pioneer. While Wahlberg was out of the country filming on location, he sent the jumpers a special “Good Luck” video in support of the world record attempt.

As the JLJJC was also a fundraising event for the National Fitness Foundation, benefiting the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (of which Jack LaLanne was an inaugural member), the NFF and other health and fitness advocates and organizations (such as the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and the YMCA USA and Y’Camps nationwide), health clubs, studios, and fitness groups, led virtual JLJJC events – coordinating their participant jumping with the JLJJC leaders at IDEA World.

Subsequently, date and time stamped videos and photos demonstrating the simultaneous JLJJC participation have flooded volunteer leaders’ communications - and been shared on dozens of social media platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, X, Tik Tok, YouTube, etc.).   

In total, the JLJJC campaign inspired people of every age, ethnicity, nationality, and ability, in over 40 U.S. States and 19 different countries, to celebrate physical activity through simple (and fun) Jumping Jacks!

Overall, the JLJJC is considered by the volunteer organizers, LaLanne Family, and IDEA Health and Fitness Association to be an overwhelming success – meeting and exceeding the leadership’s every goal! As eloquently captured in an email sent to JLJJC organizers by New Jersey Yoga Instructor and JLJJC virtual participant Jennifer Rivelli Anderson:

“This was such a cool event. I loved learning more about Jack. I shared with my various classes what he did for his 70th Birthday. It is inspirational to push back against the things we hear about what you can do at different ages, that sometimes we blindly accept without wondering if these limitations are actually true….”I’m 40 now so I am too old to XYZ.”  People accept these as gospel, then settle. Including me. When I hit 39, doctors said I was too old to be running half marathons!! He said, ‘neither of us is 20 anymore!’ However, I WAS racing them. I was beating people younger than I was. Even if I wasn’t, I was still plenty capable of running such distances. Jack kept exploring his potential and encouraged others to do the same! My students (many of them over 40) were completely energized by what Jack did. It made them curious about what they could do that they didn’t think they could. That’s a beautiful way for his legacy to continue!!”  

To hear “Behind-the-Scenes” commentary about the planning and execution of the JLJJC, please check Elaine LaLanne’s “Pass it On” Podcast. For further information about JLJJC, please check: JackLaLanne.com and/or IDEAFit.com.  

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About IDEA® Health & Fitness Association

IDEA® Health & Fitness Association has served as the world’s leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals for 42 years. We deliver world-class content and continuing education to fitness professionals, business owners and allied health professionals via our publications, including the award-winning IDEA Digital Fitness Journal. We also power fit pros through our fitness, business and nutrition conferences, and with hundreds of streaming videos and digital courses available on ideafit.com. We Inspire the World to Fitness™ with the passion and dedication of IDEA Members in more than 80 countries.   

Further Information:

Drisha Leggitt: (916) 206-2553 or [email protected]