Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s health secrets

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Flickr photo - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

At 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a modern feminist icon.

She has been the subject of several books, a documentary and, most recently, has had an action figure made in her likeness.

FCTRY, a product incubator, launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce a Ginsburg action figure, of which it already has a prototype, on June 5. Its initial goal was to raise US$15,000 ($19,800) in 35 days, but as of June 15, it had already brought in US$233,989.

RBG, a documentary detailing Ginsburg’s rise to the Supreme Court, her friendship with her ideological antagonist and colleague, the late Antonin Scalia, and her relationship with her late husband, Martin Ginsburg, premiered last month.

READ: SOCIAL WORKER HAS AWARD NAMED IN HER HONOUR

In April, You Can’t spell Truth Without Ruth, a collection of witty and wise Ginsburg quotes, was compiled into a book by Mary Zaia.

“When I’m sometimes asked, ‘When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court?’ and I say, ‘When there are nine women,’ people are shocked. But there’s been nine men and nobody raised a question about that,” Ginsburg said.

She attributes much of her success to Bryant Johnson, her personal trainer, who she has religiously worked out with twice a week for the past 20 years and claims is “the most important person” in her life.

Johnston decided to share the secret to Ginsburg’s physical strength and healthy lifestyle in an illustrated exercise book called The RBG Workout.

In the foreword, which was written by Ginsburg, she reveals how important it was for her to regain her strength after fighting colorectal cancer in 1999, after going through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She found Johnson, who worked in the District Court’s Clerk’s Office and worked as a trainer in his spare time. In 2009, Ginsburg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After she received treatment, she began training with Johnson and was able to regain her strength.

The book includes detailed step-by-step instructions of Ginsburg’s workout, paired with cartoon images of her performing the moves. The workout includes stretches, lifting weights, push-ups, planks, squats and more.

The recent popularity of Ruth Bader Ginsburg merchandise is a testament to her impact as a symbol of overcoming adversity.