Ode to Dr. Kenneth Cooper
I remember finding a copy of Dr. Kenneth Cooper's groundbreaking book Aerobics in a used bookstore. I knew that Cooper was instrumental in getting the running boom of the 1970's started. The claim is made that Cooper coined the term "aerobics," and I have no reason to doubt that. In his radio show, he's often described as "the father of aerobics," and while I have some issue with that (believing that people like Arthur Lydiard, provided a lot of the foundation on which Cooper based his theories), but the issue is one of nuance, not real substance. (I have not reviewed this seminal book in several years, so this is coming from memory, but I believe Cooper is NOT trying to misrepresent, and I think he spread credit widely in that book, rather it's a question of whether naming something that was going on makes you the father or not.)
My favorite picture of Cooper is a shot of him with two other giants of that first running boom - Dr. George Sheehan and Jim Fixx. Both of those men have passed away. Fixx from a massive heart attack while he was still a very public figure, and Sheehan of prostate cancer about a decade ago. I think that picture tells an important story - FITNESS DOES NOT MAKE US BULLETPROOF!
Cooper is very active through his Cooper Clinic and affiliated organizations, the Cooper Wellness Center, etc. He has really developed a lot of great resources in the Dallas area, and spreads his message through a radio show. You can get at recent shows through his website at www.cooperaerobics.com, they're worth a listen.
What's the message here, first, I'm always pleased to recognize people who do extraordinary things, and clearly Cooper falls into that category.
Second, Cooper says that Fixx could have improved his odds of survival (and it seems clear that running did prolong his life, he had a family history of congenital heart problems, having lost both his father and a brother at much younger ages) by having undergone testing. Today, something like Fixx's problem could likely be surgically repaired in a fairly straightforward procedure, I think the risks that existed a quarter century ago were much greater, but if the problem was known, even if surgical intervention was decided against, things could have been done to limit his risk.
In sum, I wanted to recognize Cooper for his "preaching the gospel of health," thank him for his efforts in trying to improve America's (and the World's) health and tell you about him, so you'll know he's someone to trust.
My favorite picture of Cooper is a shot of him with two other giants of that first running boom - Dr. George Sheehan and Jim Fixx. Both of those men have passed away. Fixx from a massive heart attack while he was still a very public figure, and Sheehan of prostate cancer about a decade ago. I think that picture tells an important story - FITNESS DOES NOT MAKE US BULLETPROOF!
Cooper is very active through his Cooper Clinic and affiliated organizations, the Cooper Wellness Center, etc. He has really developed a lot of great resources in the Dallas area, and spreads his message through a radio show. You can get at recent shows through his website at www.cooperaerobics.com, they're worth a listen.
What's the message here, first, I'm always pleased to recognize people who do extraordinary things, and clearly Cooper falls into that category.
Second, Cooper says that Fixx could have improved his odds of survival (and it seems clear that running did prolong his life, he had a family history of congenital heart problems, having lost both his father and a brother at much younger ages) by having undergone testing. Today, something like Fixx's problem could likely be surgically repaired in a fairly straightforward procedure, I think the risks that existed a quarter century ago were much greater, but if the problem was known, even if surgical intervention was decided against, things could have been done to limit his risk.
In sum, I wanted to recognize Cooper for his "preaching the gospel of health," thank him for his efforts in trying to improve America's (and the World's) health and tell you about him, so you'll know he's someone to trust.
posted by Scooter at 8:57 AM
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