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Aerobics Around The World
Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Cooper in Brazil, standing in front of the “Pista Coronel Cooper” sign.
After publishing his 1968 best-seller, Aerobics, Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, inspired millions to exercise in pursuit of good health. Dr. Cooper’s fitness revolution has not been limited to the United States – his reach is international. From Brazil to China, Dr. Cooper has lectured in more than 50 countries preaching the “gospel of Aerobics.”
Here are a few fun facts about how Dr. Cooper has revolutionized fitness across the world:
- Dr. Cooper used aerobics to train the Brazilian soccer team, leading them to the 1970 World Cup victory. As a result, jogging is translated as “Coopering” or “doing the Cooper” in Brazil.
- Aerobics has been printed in 41 languages, including Braille, and sold more than 30 million copies.
- In Hungary, the “cooperteszt” is the name of the national fitness test.
Today Dr. Cooper continues his work to spread the importance of fitness and good health. Everywhere he goes, people tell him about how Aerobics changed their life.
“Once I was in Hungary, and a man came up to me and asked, ‘Are you the one who created the Cooperteszt?’ I told him I was. He yelled, ‘I hate you!’ I laugh every time I think of that story,” Dr. Cooper shared.
Author John Grisham had the same reaction when he met Dr. Cooper in Dallas. “When he found out who I was, he said, ‘I hate you. I had to run so much in school because of you!’ But he said he’s still running today, and that’s what makes it all worth it.”
Leave a comment below to share how Dr. Cooper’s work has impacted your life.
Aerobic vs. Cardiovascular Exercise
Aerobic exercise or cardiovascular exercise – what’s the difference? You may not know the answer to the question, but it’s simple. They are the same!
As you kick off your cardio routine, it’s important to know if what you’re doing is truly aerobic or not, and which exercises qualify as aerobic. Aerobic exercise must meet three criteria:
- It must engage large muscle groups.
- It must use lots of oxygen.
- It should be something you can do continuously.
When an activity meets all three of Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper’s criteria, it is considered to be an aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. In Dr. Cooper’s book, Aerobics for Total Well-Being, he developed a list primary and secondary aerobic activities.
Primary exercises would exercise such as cross-country skiing, swimming, running, jogging, cycling or walking. Dr. Cooper also documented a list of secondary exercises. They meet the three criteria pretty well, but not quite as well as the primary exercises. For example, circuit weight training would fall into the secondary exercises.
Finding Your Sweet Spot
There are multiple activities you can do to gain cardiovascular benefits. Everyone has their own workout preferences, and you may find that you’re more adherent to an exercise program if you vary what you’re doing. Try switching up your activities throughout the week.
How much aerobic exercise do yo need for health benefits? The Cooper Institute is a proponent of the American College of Sports Medicine‘s recommendation to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity as a minimum for good health. Depending on what your goals are, it will influence you how much exercise you should do.
Remember – more is better, but only to a certain point. It varies from person to person, so there’s not an definitive answer on how much is too much. The sweet spot for optimal health benefits of aerobic activity is in between 150 to 300 minutes per week. Once you go beyond 300 minutes, you may receive additional fitness benefits, but you may not get added health benefits.
What’s your favorite aerobic exercise?
Celebrating 45 Years of Aerobics
This year is a big milestone for Cooper Aerobics. We are celebrating 45 years since Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, published his international best-selling book, Aerobics, inspiring millions of people across the world to join the fitness revolution.
Check out our new infographic to learn more about the impact of aerobics and Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s journey to help people achieve the best possible quantity and quality of life (we’ve included a sneak peek below).
To celebrate, we are hosting a “45 and Cooperized” Giveaway on our Facebook page giving you a chance to win a Cooperized prize package!
We will be randomly selecting one winner each Friday throughout the month of March – so you have four chances to win! Our prize package includes a signed copy of Drs. Kenneth and Tyler Cooper’s book, Start Strong, Finish Strong, a Get Cooperized t-shirt, a travel-size Beautiful Fit body wash from Cooper Spa and a one-month supply of Cooper Complete Health Nutritional Supplements.
To increase your odds of winning a prize, share the fun with your friends and family, so they can have the chance to win some Cooperized gear, too!
Stay tuned for more posts throughout the month on the history of Aerobics and it’s impact around the world.
And we want to hear from you! Leave a comment below to tell us how has Aerobics changed your life.
