Easy Way to Perfect Figure and Glowing Health by Debbie Drake in the 1960s

A true fitness trailblazer, Debbie Drake was the first woman to star in her own daily exercise show. The Debbie Drake Show debuted in 1960 and aired during the morning on dozens of stations across the country.

Between that show and its follow-up, Debbie Drake’s Dancercize, she stayed on the air continuously until 1978. Like Jack LaLanne, Drake became one of the country’s first fitness gurus, parlaying her fame into guest appearances on TV shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The David Frost Show, The New Steve Allen Show and What’s My Line?.

Drake was also before her time as a multimedia star: In addition to her TV show, she published the 1961 book Debbie Drake’s Easy Way to a Perfect Figure and Glowing Health, and recorded albums, including Look Good! Feel Great! and How to Keep Your Husband Happy. With an album title like that, Drake was the perfect fitness star for the Mad Men era.

In this glorious tome — which documents a fitness era that seems both antiquated and eerily familiar — “leggy, busty, 30-year-old Debbie Drake (38½-22½-36)” gives readers advice on how to do everything from slimming your thighs, to “reducing” your cheeks, and even exercising your hair.

Debbie is eating raw carrots while doing scissor kicks. She shows readers that if you daintily kick your legs about in a sexy pose, while munching on carrots, you can slim your calves and thighs — all while flirting on the phone.

Better yet, try these leg lifts.

Librarians: While you are weeding those books, try a few of these exercises to increase your bust size and shelving strength.

Wrinkles are not a problem. In one easy step, Debbie’s amazing “cheek reducer” can give you a slimmer face without losing a pound. You just need to suck really hard.

You can even exercise your hair!

According to Debbie, “Massaging and brushing are forms of exercising the hair.”

Why would you do this? She claims this can stimulate hair growth, “improving the lustre and texture.”

(via Awful Library Books)