Cooper Connections at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games

The closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games is finally upon us, following countless displays of athleticism and sportsmanship these past two weeks.  The United States leads the final medal count, with American athletes earning 121 total medals – 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze. We take a look back now at some fun facts and Cooper connections to the celebrated Olympic Games through the years.

• Did you know Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper was selected to participate in the Olympic torch relay through Arlington, Texas, for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia? Prior to every Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is transported with the Olympic torch from Greece to the designated host city via the Olympic torch relay.
• This year was the first time that Brazil served as host for the Olympic Games. Dr. Kenneth Cooper has visited Brazil many times and first traveled to Brazil to train the Brazilian national soccer team with Coach Cláudio Coutinho in 1970. That year the Brazilian national team went on to win the World Cup, and because of Dr. Cooper’s introduction of aerobic exercising to Brazil, in Brazil they refer to “jogging” as “Coopering” or “doing your Cooper.”

• The five Olympic Rings symbolize the five regions of the world: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. At least one of the colors of the Olympic rings – blue, yellow, black, green and red – appears in every flag in the world. Dr. Cooper’s message has reached almost every corner of these regions; his 19 books have been sold in 52 countries and translated into 40 languages. The most recent book, Start Strong, Finish Strong, was co-authored with his son, Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Cooper Aerobics.

• Of the 28 sports in the Summer Olympics, Cooper Fitness Center Sports Pros offer training in five of these sports – aquatics, basketball, boxing, martial arts and tennis. You may not be an Olympian, but you can certainly train like one at Cooper.

• The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” When translated from Latin to English it means “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” Most athletes make use of the top five aerobic exercises – cross-country skiing, swimming, running/jogging, outdoor cycling and walking – in their training to help them build endurance for optimal performance. Training with one of our 28 professional fitness trainers at Cooper Fitness Center can help you become faster, higher and stronger.

• There is no limit to the number of athletes a team can bring to the Olympics; nations can bring any and every athlete that qualifies. Did you know Cooper Fitness Center Boxing Pro Derrick James accompanied boxer Errol Spence, Jr. to the London 2012 Summer Olympics? 

   

  Fitness has been the foundation of Dr. Cooper’s teachings since 1968 when he coined the term “aerobics” and sparked an international fitness revolution. We hope you’ll learn more about Cooper Aerobics and Dr. Cooper’s 8 Steps to Get Cooperized as the sun sets on the Olympic Games in Rio and the countdown begins for the next Olympic Games – 547 days and counting until PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, followed by Tokyo 2020 for the next Summer Olympic Games.

Millie Cooper Honored by American Heart Association

Every 34 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. Every 60 seconds, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event. Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined.  According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing one in three deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute! Additionally, 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

Millie Cooper, known as the “First Lady of Aerobics,” was recently honored with the Sandi Haddock Impact Award at the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Luncheon in Dallas thanks to her global efforts to promote physical activity and healthy habits.  Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth H. Cooper, are longtime supporters of the American Heart Association and major advocates of living healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease.

From left to right: Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, Millie Cooper, T.J. Estes, Berkley Estes, Angie Cooper and Dr. Tyler Cooper

At the February 4 luncheon, close to 1,300 attendees heard from heart attack survivor Elissa Taylor, a Dallas-area mother who in 2015 had a heart attack at age 39. Her message to women is to take care of yourself, slow down, see your doctor and know the warning signs of a heart attack (which are different in women than in men).

Additionally, Lori Greiner of Shark Tank and QVC-TV paralleled business success with living healthy lifestyles. She explained the importance of women taking control of their health, not being afraid to ask questions and working hard to be healthy, safe and there for their loved ones.

The phrase “Go Red” is a call to action for women to understand the risk of heart disease and stroke and actively work to keep their bodies healthy in order to prevent a cardiac event.  Remember…

G – Get Your Numbers

O – Own Your Lifestyle

R – Raise Your Voice

E – Educate Your Family

D – Donate

To learn more about the Go Red for Women campaign, click here. To see more photos from the event, visit the Cooper Aerobics Facebook page.

Age is Just a Number

By: Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper

Becoming healthier as you grow older does not have to be a far-fetched goal. Our bodies are built to last, as long as we take care of them properly. At 84 years of age, I continue to exercise, maintain my weight, take supplements and more in order to maintain the healthy and active life I want to continue living.

Taking the proper supplementation keeps your body full of the nutrients it needs, especially if those nutrients are unattainable from your diet. Recent studies show that taking 3 grams of EPA/DHA found in Omega-3 is associated with the reduction of muscle deterioration throughout the aging process. People normally begin losing muscle around age 50, but those taking the aforementioned levels of Omega-3 actually maintain their strength as they grow older. The supplement is also known to reduce the pain and symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Healthy aging might seem like a difficult task, but if you take preventive measures early on, many unfortunate health circumstances can be avoided. As you begin to age and think about your desired quality of life as you get older, imagine how you would like to live. Would you prefer to reach your peak of fitness at an early age and feel your health steadily decline due to unhealthy habits? Or would you prefer to remain active throughout middle age and beyond, with no decline in health and a quick demise? I call this “squaring off the curve,” and it is the lifestyle model that I recommend to all of my patients, and that I fully embrace myself.

As I like to say, “you don’t stop exercising when you grow old; you grow old when you stop exercising.” To benefit the most from exercise as you age, I recommend the following balance between aerobic and strength training:

• If you’re 40 years old or younger, devote 80 percent of your workout time to aerobic training and 20 percent to strength training.
• If you’re 41 to 50 years old, shift to 70 percent aerobic and 30 percent strength work.
• If you’re 51 to 60, do 60 percent aerobic exercise and 40 percent strength training.
• After you pass 60, divide your workout time more evenly between the two strategies – while still giving an edge to aerobic exercise, which provides the most health benefits: 55 percent aerobic work and 45 percent strength work.

New studies also reveal a direct correlation between exercise and dementia and Alzheimer’s – proving that exercise of the mind can be just as important as physical exercise when it comes to healthy aging.  These studies show that levels of the protein TAU, which causes Alzheimer’s, actually lower following periods of consistent physical activity; even people who already have the disease show improved symptoms following intervals of exercise.

In addition to physical activity, one should follow my eight steps to Get Cooperized in order to thrive throughout the aging process. I also recommend the following steps to exercise your mind in order to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia:

1. Exercise your mind daily
2. Exercise
3. Socialize
4. Get adequate sleep
5. Take Omega-3
6. Take Vitamin D3
7. Take Vitamin B12

Physical activity has also been shown to reduce neurological psychiatric symptoms such as depression, and those over the age of 70 actually show the most improvement under these circumstances.

Remember – age is just a number. Making the choice to stay healthy and active, no matter your age, can make a great difference in how much of your life you actually get to live, especially as you grow older. You can choose to age fast or age slow…it’s up to you.

#CooperHealthyAging

Happy 84th Birthday, Dr. Cooper!

Today at Cooper Aerobics we are celebrating Dr. Cooper’s birthday! He is known throughout the world for being a visionary and as the “father of aerobics.” To celebrate his 84th birthday, let’s take a look at his accomplishments this past year and how he continues to inspire millions each day to live longer, healthier lives.

February 2015
Dr. Cooper proudly joined United Way of Metropolitan Dallas to celebrate 90 years of service. In partnership with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, The Cooper Institute is able to promote health in schools with Healthy Zone School Recognition Program, now reaching 90 area schools!

January 2015
For his impact on the football community, Dr. Cooper was honored as a 2015 inductee into National Football Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame at the Omni Dallas Hotel as the kickoff event for the College Football Playoff National Championship weekend. In addition to hundreds gathering together to honor Dr. Cooper on Jan. 8, his family and some of his closest colleagues contributed to a video in his honor, watch here!

December 2014
With his son, Dr. Tyler Cooper and staff members of Cooper Fitness Center, Dr. Cooper honored the 2014 Members of the Year.  Ranging from the two “Youth of Year” at 11 and 12 years old to the “Classic of the Year,” Dr. Cooper’s patient and longtime friend at 97 years old. Read about each of the members honored and see their photos taken with Drs. Kenneth and Tyler Cooper on the blog.

November 2014
Dr. Cooper warmed up with Frito-Lay by doing a few stretches with CEO Tom Greco before he presented to an employee group. Did you know 12 years ago Dr. Cooper made the recommendation to remove trans-fats from Frito Lay products? The project resulted in 50 million pounds of trans fats removed from the American diet every year!

October 2014
The Cooper Institute® rolled out the Hungarian version of the Cooper International Fitness Test™ in Hungary at the three-day conference after signing a partnership agreement with the Hungarian School Sport Federation in 2013. Dr. Cooper addressed the topic of childhood obesity before stakeholders of the European Union. The partnership was formed to establish a national framework for student fitness assessments in Hungary, reaching more than 1.2 million children in 4,000 schools. Read the press release at cooperaerobics.com/Media.

September 2014

The American Heart Association celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Dallas Heart Walk and honored Dr. Cooper as the Honorary Chairman. Dr. Cooper led the first Dallas Heart Walk in 1992 with just 500 walkers and raised $50,000 and now Dallas has the largest Heart Walk in the nation. In 2014, Dr. Cooper led the walk with his son Dr. Tyler Cooper as the Board President of the American Heart Association—Dallas Division with more than 60,000 walkers, raising nearly $5.5 million. Thank you to everyone who supported the Cooper Aerobics team!

August 2014
Cooper Aerobics is the feature article in the Preston Hollow Advocate this month. What started out as a renovation story, evolved into an entire feature. The writer spent hours on campus with our experts including Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Cooper, Dr. Tyler Cooper, Dr. DeFina and Houston Nichols (who grew up in the Nichols’ Mansion). Read the story here.

July 2014
BIG things happen everyday on the Cooper Aerobics campus! Dr. Cooper and many teammates, members and clients posed on campus to be the “I” in BIG like Dr. Cooper. View all of the photos on Cooper Aerobics Facebook page.

June 2014
Dr. Cooper named his son, Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cooper Aerobics. In addition to practicing preventive medicine, Dr. Tyler Cooper oversees the company’s seven health and wellness businesses. Dr. Cooper remains as Chairman and Founder of Cooper Aerobics. Read the press release at cooperaerobics.com/Media.

May 2014
As an internal update for all 650 Cooper Aerobics employees, “State of Cooper” is held each spring. Dr. Cooper introduced the meeting by saying “Play Ball” with a playful baseball theme. The media panel included members of the Senior Leadership team to provide corporate updates.

April 2014
Cooper Hotel hosts a group of professional referees who train at Cooper Aerobics every quarter. Dr. Cooper shared his soccer history from the late ’60s and ’70s in Brazil. They loved meeting him and taking photos, but teased him a little for creating the dreaded Cooper Test or ‘cooperteszt’ which is a fitness test commonly used for professional referees.

March 2014
As part of Cooper Aerobics Center’s multi-million dollar renovation, Drs. Cooper began the renovation of Cooper Hotel by pulling up the carpet to lay out the new. The renovation has refreshed the 61 guest rooms, meeting rooms and public spaces. Blending elegant sophistication with modern touches, guests will stay well at Cooper Hotel. The renovation is expected to be completed this spring. Read the press release at cooperaerobics.com/Media.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 84th year, Dr. Cooper!

This year, we celebrate 45 years of inspiring millions to live longer, healthier lives.

Dr. Cooper’s Tackle on Fitness

As you may have heard in the news, many congratulations are due to Dr. Kenneth Cooper! Last week Dr. Cooper was honored by the football community for his impact on athletes worldwide as a 2015 inductee into National Football Foundation (NFF) Leadership Hall of Fame.

A video tribute was created in his honor with interviews ranging from Troy Aikman to Ray Hunt to family members. As the kickoff event for the College Football Playoff National Championship weekend, the evening honoring Dr. Cooper was held at the Omni Dallas Hotel. The dinner co-chairmen include NFF Board Members and College Football Hall of Fame inductees Troy Aikman (UCLA) and Roger Staubach (Navy), current Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. In addition to the tribute video, various media outlets covered the evening ranging from broadcast, print and radio.

“Our entire nation owes Dr. Cooper our deepest gratitude,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “His teachings and insights have earned him the title as the father of aerobics, and he has espoused a lifestyle that has benefited everybody from top athletes to senior citizens who are simply looking for ways to improve their quality of life. He clearly has defined himself as a leader who challenges the status quo, and has created a brighter future for the next generation.”

United States Representative Roger Williams, a member of NFF Board of Directors, arranged to have an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., on Dec. 14, commemorating the induction of Dr. Kenneth Cooper.

Watch the tribute video, view the event photos on Facebook and see all media coverage at cooperaerobics.com/media.

Congratulations to Dr. Cooper!

Join Drs. Cooper in the 2014 Dallas Heart Walk

Since 1970, Cooper Aerobics’ mission has been preventive medicine, saving thousands of lives by identifying early signs of heart disease. Sharing the mission to improve heart health and end cardiovascular disease and stroke, we’re proud to support American Heart Association.

Nearly 20 years ago, Dr. Kenneth Cooper began the first Dallas Heart Walk with only 450 walkers. The Dallas Heart Walk is now the largest in the nation, with more than 60,000 walkers last year. To commemorate the 20^th anniversary, Dr. Kenneth Cooper will lead this year’s walk on Sept. 13 as Honorary Chairman with son, Dr. Tyler Cooper as the 2012-2014 Board President of the Dallas Division of the American Heart Association. Watch the video below with Drs. Cooper and other community leaders honoring the anniversary.

In addition to Dr. Tyler Cooper’s role as Board President, he has personally pledged to fundraise $250,000 and has taken on the role as the Inspired Giving Chair of the Executive Cabinet for the Dallas Heart Walk in honor of his dad’s generous contributions over the years. In this role, Dr. Tyler Cooper has encouraged many influential business leaders in the community to personally contribute to the 2014 Dallas Heart Walk to achieve the goal of $5.5 million.

Earlier this summer, Cooper Aerobics teammates (employees) kicked off fundraising efforts with a pep rally. View photos here. We’ve currently fundraised $66,577 and are on our way to reaching our goal of $100,000. Support the Cooper Aerobics Team by making a donation here and join our team to walk with us on Sept. 13.

Donate to the Cooper Aerobics’ Heart Walk Team | Join the Cooper Aerobics’ Heart Walk Team

BIG Things Happen at Cooper!

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, Founder and Chairman, Cooper Aerobics

Have you seen the B&G letters around the city of Dallas? When you stand in between the B&G (like Dr. Cooper here), the six foot tall letters spell BIG! These letters are part of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (Dallas CVB) branding campaign “Big Things Happen Here!”  Now until July 7, we at Cooper Aerobics have our own set on campus.  Prior to joining the Cooper Aerobics team as Vice President of Marketing and Communications, I worked as a VP for the Dallas CVB on its rebranding campaign. Two years ago we conducted research studies alongside TracyLocke with residents and visitors alike to determine our city’s new tagline. At Dallas’ brand launch event in March of 2013, the life-size letters were part of a four-week social media contest but have gained popularity resulting in more than two dozen sets across the city a year and half later. Thousands of photos have been shared on social media with #DallasBIG. As I made the transition to Cooper Aerobics earlier this year, I quickly found out that BIG things happen every day on the Cooper Aerobics campus.

Cooper Fitness Center completed a $7.5 million renovation in February and the Cooper Hotel is in the final stage of its $1 million renovation.  Just this week, Olympic Bob Sledder Johnny Quinn shared his story to more than 40 youth campers and last week Olympic Speed Skater Jordan Malone joined Summer Camp at Cooper Fitness Center. Our concierge medicine program Cooper Clinic Platinum announced a third physician joining that practice and Cooper Consulting Partners recently hosted a Fit:Business Seminar, just to name a few.

See photos of members, patients, guests, campers and teammates (employees) in the B&G on the Cooper Aerobics campus. Share your spirit to Get Cooperized by taking a photo between the B&G. Share with us on social media with #DallasBIG and @CooperAerobics.