Do a sit-up for Bonnie Prudden
Posted: 4:38PM December 19th, 2011 | Comments
Bonnie Prudden was a strong, tireless woman. And she worried most of her life that American children were too "flabby." And she did something about it. A lot. Nearly inventing televised health programs, rock climbing walls and fitness classes as part of school curiculum. And, yesterday (pour a little on the pavement for our hommie), she died. Appropriate at the tough-old-age of 97.
A pioneer of rock climbing (a chore especially impressive at a time when women were more often in the kitchen than on a sheer rock face), Bonnie Prudden was a true maverick. In post-World War II, she became one of the most outspoken advocates for childhood fitness, even getting President Eisenhower's attention and sparking a national campaign to trim up our children.
Yes, American children are getting fatter. But no, don't over-romantize previous generations as trim, fit and healthy. In 1955, Prudden began campaigning for children to practice routine exercise and healthier habits. She spent decades trailblazing: Hosting a televised fitness show, promoting fitness in prisons as a reformative means, and helping elderly staying in shape.
“You can’t run back the clock,” Ms. Prudden liked to say. “But you can wind it up again.”
