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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!
Happy Father’s Day From Cooper Aerobics!
Father’s Day is well-celebrated at Cooper Aerobics. Not only because we are a family-owned business, but also because of our Founder and Chairman, Dr. Cooper, is the ‘father of aerobics.’ Dr. Tyler Cooper, Cooper Aerobics’ Chief Executive Officer and son of Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, shared a video tribute of his father’s legacy with their home church, Prestonwood Baptist.
More than 45 years ago, Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH published his first book in 1968. When discussing the title with his publisher, Dr. Cooper said the title Aerobics would never catch on and would be mispronounced and misspelled. After a little convincing, it was decided as the title of his first of 19 books. Aerobics has now been translated in 41 languages, including braille, and is well-known around the world. In 1986 Dr. Cooper’s submission for the official definition of ‘aerobics’ appeared within the Oxford English Dictionary.
Happy Father’s Day from Drs. Cooper and all of the Cooper Aerobics family!
Happy 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 83rd birthday, let’s take a look at his accomplishments at age 82 and how he continues to stay young at heart.
Recently, Dr. Cooper participated in an interview with 1080 KRLD-AM radio on “being young at heart” for American Heart Association’s National Heart Month. During the interview, he was asked if he thought of himself more as a teacher or a physician. At first, he said, “both.” Then as he shared his daily and weekly routine, he narrowed it down—he is a teacher. He lives to teach and preach his message to inspire people to live longer, healthier lives.
For example, Dr. Cooper speaks to a group of students from The Cooper Institute pursuing a personal training certification on the topic of “Exercise is Medicine.” On Feb. 26, Dr. Cooper visited Duncan, Okla., to give the same presentation to Duncan Regional Hospital in celebration of Health Week. The local newspaper’s headline was Aerobics guru: get off the couch to live longer and healthier life. The article reads, “Cooper…presented a rapid-fire PowerPoint presentation of statistics and studies that support a theory now embraced by all health professionals.”
When asked about retirement, Dr. Cooper said, “as long as you love what you’re doing, you will never work a day in your life.”
February 2014
Dr. Cooper was selected to be the honorary chairman for the 2014 Dallas Heart Walk.
He celebrated the completion of the multi-million dollar Cooper Fitness Center renovation with a ribbon run-through with his son, Dr. Tyler Cooper, and Dallas Cowboys Legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.
January 2014
Dr. Cooper took some time off and enjoyed a 23-day Antarctic cruise with his wife, Millie Cooper.
December 2013
Dr. Cooper received his ninth honorary degree on Dec. 14 from Ball State University.
November 2013
More than 18,000 experts from around the world came to Dallas for American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions on Nov. 18. Dr. Cooper was the keynote speaker. See news coverage from Huffington Post, Good Morning Texas and KDFW-FOX.
October 2013
As a proud alumnus of University of Oklahoma, Dr. Cooper supported his team at the annual Red River Rivalry game on Oct. 12.
Later that month, Dr. and Mrs. Cooper took time off to visit sunny San Diego.
September 2013
Dr. Cooper is passionate about eliminating childhood obesity.
On Sept. 9, Dr. Cooper and The Cooper Institute’s CEO Blaine Nelson joined with members from the Hungarian government and FitnessGram to formally sign an agreement with the Hungarian School Sports Federation to implement a new International Youth Fitness Test based on FitnessGram.
And on Sept. 10 he celebrated and honored 51 Healthy Zone Schools with Troy Aikman, co-chairman of the Healthy Zone School Recognition Program.
August 2013
Dr. and Mrs. Cooper contributed to churches in Brazil and received a thank you photo from the kids.
July 2013
Dr. Cooper had his first workout on Cooper Fitness Center’s new, state-of-the-art Precor cardio equipment. These machines were part of the multi-million renovation and are all programed with the latest technology console, called Preva® Networked Fitness.
June 2013
Every year, Drs. Cooper take a father-son trip. In June they traveled to Norway on the “Land of the Polar Bears” National Geographic Expedition.
May 2013
Dr. Cooper honored Fred and Barbara Meyer, long-time Cooper supporters who both passed away within the last year, by planting a new tree at Cooper Aerobics Center with Fred and Barbara’s daughter. The tree and plaque are located in front of The Cooper Institute.
April 2013
At the BOAO Economic Forum in China on April 6-8, Dr. Cooper participated in a panel with two Nobel Prize laureates in medicine to talk about the importance of preventive medicine and share the Get Cooperized message.
Dr. and Mrs. Cooper celebrated the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on April 25.
March 2013
Along with celebrating his 82nd birthday, Dr. Cooper celebrated the 45th anniversary of Aerobics.
In addition to all of his professional achievements, Dr. Cooper is also a caring grandfather of five to Ridge (11), Tenley (9), Clark (8), Lang (6) and Kai (4).
Here’s to a happy, healthy 83rd year, Dr. Cooper!
Happy Father’s Day!
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics with son Dr. Tyler Cooper, CEO of Cooper Aerobics Enterprises.
Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics recently contributed to Savvy Dad’s first book How Fathers Change Lives: Stories of Remarkable Dads not only as the “Father of Aerobics,” but also to share how he was inspired by his own father.
Dr. Cooper’s father, a periodontist for over 50 years, was an inspiration for Dr. Cooper to pursue preventive medicine. Dr. Cooper said when he was applying for medical school his dad said if all he would be doing in the future was taking care of people by ordering drugs, he was wasting his time and money.
“That is one reason I redirected my medical practice from ‘too much care too late’ to prevention of disease,” Dr. Cooper said.
Dr. Cooper said his father often said ‘It is always cheaper and more efficient to maintain good health than regain it once it is lost.’
“My father practiced his specialty of dentistry all day on a Friday and died on a Monday,” Dr. Cooper said. “We call that ‘squaring off the curve.’ It’s living a long, healthy life to the fullest and then dying suddenly.”
Dr. Cooper has continued the legacy as a great father and inspiration to his son, Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, CEO of Cooper Aerobics Enterprises. Every year the Drs. Cooper take a father/son vacation. A grandfather of five and having logged more than 38,000 miles running, a vacation is an adventure! In years past they have explored Antarctica, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and this year they are taking on the North Pole with the Land of the Ice Bears National Geographic Adventure.
Dr. Cooper at 82 years often says, “The reason I exercise is for the quality of life I enjoy.”
Today we celebrate the “Father of Aerobics” and all of the fathers in your life!
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.
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.
