3/3/2021 CooperAerobics - Cooper Aerobics - 8 Simple Steps to Obtaining Better Health

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Dr. Cooper's 8 Healthy Steps

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Get Cooperized™. It’s a phrase you may have seen and heard by now. So,
where did we come up with this tagline and what does it mean? We’re so
glad you asked.

As you may know, Dr. Cooper coined a word in 1968 that he used to describe a new
exercise program to improve heart health. Little did he know that he would spark a
global fitness revolution! That word was aerobics.

Nearly 50 years later, we are at it again, but this time coining the phrase Get
Cooperized. It encompasses the fitness movement Dr. Cooper started, but also expands
the movement to encompass eight areas that make up a well-rounded, healthy life.
Being Cooperized means living a healthy life, the Cooper way.

Get Cooperized is the heart of our mission. It’s the sum of our seven entities. And it’s a
set of eight general guidelines to achieve and maintain health. Each one can be and
should be customized to fit you—your body, your health, your interests, your life.

Maintain a healthy weight. One method to determine if you’re at a healthy weight is

to measure your Body Mass Index or BMI. You can determine your BMI by following this
calculation:
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You are considered normal weight if your BMI is 18.5-24.9, overweight at 25-29.9 and
obese if it’s 30 or higher. BMI may be inaccurate if you are highly muscular; in that case
measurement of body fat by calipers may be more accurate.

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to prevent
illness and disease, enjoy a higher quality of life and live longer.

But we know that it takes a combination of good nutrition and consistent exercise to do
this. Read some of our health tips on weight loss, and check the Get Cooperized
guidelines on eating healthy most of the time and exercising most days of the week.

Make healthy food choices most of the time. We like to say it’s about moderation,
not deprivation. Or eat healthy 80 percent of the time and have that cookie the other 20
percent of the time.

We know that’s a big bite to swallow, so what’s the first step to build healthy nutrition
habits? We’d say eat more fruits and vegetables daily. There is an adage, “Five is fine,
but nine is divine.” That’s talking about servings (one serving is half a cup) of fruits and
veggies to consume every day. If you’re not getting five servings in a day, start there,
then work your way to nine.

Research shows that by doing this, you can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol
and are at a lower risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis and kidney stones.

Check out the Nutrition Bites (/Health-Tips/Nutrition-Bites.aspx) section for great articles
by our registered dietitian nutritionists (/Cooper-Clinic/Nutrition-Services/Our-
Dietitians.aspx) on a host of topics. We also offer some of our favorite healthy recipes
(/Health-Tips/Recipes.aspx). But if you need individualized, expert advice, learn more
about our Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services (/Cooper-Clinic/Nutrition-Services.aspx).

Exercise most days of the week. This health guideline is how Cooper got started. It’s
our claim to fame. Drum roll, please… Participate in moderate physical activity a
collective 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That’s it. Now let’s break it down:

“Moderate physical activity” – Moderate intensity should get your heart rate elevated to
where you can talk but you’re winded. There are many types of cardiovascular exercise:
take a brisk walk or go jogging, kick the soccer ball with the kids, play a game of touch
football, swim some laps, jump rope, hop on an elliptical machine. Whatever you choose,
just get moving!

“A collective 30 minutes a day” – Here’s the good news. You don’t have to exercise for
30 minutes straight if your schedule doesn’t work or those bad knees won’t last. You can
do three spurts of activity for 10 minutes each or break it into two, 15 minute intervals.
It all adds up and it all counts! And a total of 30 minutes is realistic amount of time to fit
into your schedule. Put it on your calendar like it’s an appointment and stick to it.

“Five days a week.” – This is important because if you do 30 minutes of moderately

intense cardio over five days you will have logged 150 minutes of exercise. This is the
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magic number to reap the benefits of heart health, prevent diabetes, cancer and other
diseases, and improve quality and quantity of life.

For some great articles by our professional fitness trainers, check out our Fitness Files
(/Health-Tips/Fitness-Files.aspx) or watch videos of our Exercise Moves (/Health-
Tips/Fitness-Files.aspx). Of course, if you want to work directly with one of our trainers
or sport professionals, visit Cooper Fitness Center (/Cooper-Fitness-Center™-
Dallas.aspx).

Take the right supplements for you. Supplements are just that, they are
supplements and not replacements. You have to start with a good, balanced diet and
then think of supplements as an insurance policy.

No matter how hard we try, most people are not getting the proper amounts of vitamins
and minerals their body needs through diet alone. Generally, we just don’t eat very well.
Less than a third of Americans are getting at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a
day. Our diets are incomplete. That’s why we created Cooper Complete® nutritional
supplements.

So start with a good multivitamin that is taken with meals. This will cover a lot of your
basic supplement needs.

Then get your blood levels checked to understand if you are deficient and need
additional supplementation. Research shows the majority of people are vitamin D
deficient, which has been linked to diseases such as: hypertension, depression, diabetes,
certain cancers and arthritis, to name a few. Studies have also shown benefits of omega-
3 in blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and cognitive health.

Since 1997 Dr. Kenneth Cooper and a team of expert consultants from four leading
universities have been studying nutritional supplements and what role they play in
health and preventive medicine. That research led to the formulation of Cooper
Complete. No matter what brand you choose, make sure your vitamins and supplements
are pure and potent.

Visit our Vitamin Aisle (/Health-Tips/Vitamin-Aisle.aspx) section for the latest research
and recommendations on supplementation. You can purchase our vitamins on our
website, coopercomplete.com (https://coopercomplete.com/).

Do not use tobacco. We all know smoking is “bad” for you, and a leading cause of lung
cancer. But all tobacco products, not just cigarettes, can threaten your health.

Tobacco is associated with a number of different types of cancers, including esophageal,

cervical, stomach, kidney, pancreatic and more. On top of that, tobacco is the number
one treatable cause of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in
America.

We strongly recommend not using any form of tobacco. Research shows that if you
smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, you have a 20-fold increased risk of developing lung
cancer. And it doubles the risk for heart attacks compared to a nonsmoker.

People tend to think smoking simply shortens your lifespan—that you may die a few
years earlier due to your habit. But the bigger problem is the 10 to 15 years before
death where you suffer the terrible health effects of smoking—dealing with cancer or
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lugging around an oxygen tank to help you breathe.

It’s never too late to quit using tobacco. And the sooner you quit, the better your long-
term prognosis. If you’re looking for support to help quit smoking, these organizations
(http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/QuitSmoking/QuittingResources/Resources-
for-Quitting-Smoking_UCM_307934_Article.jsp#.T3yAscVAaew) may offer personalized
help or listings of classes and support groups in your community.

Control alcohol. This one is always a mixed bag. There are both benefits and
drawbacks to consider when it comes to alcohol.

Among other things, excessive alcohol can cause weight gain, damage your liver and
your heart and increase the risk of developing some types of cancer. Yet for some
people, moderate alcohol intake may also have a benefit for the heart.

If you sum up the benefits of other healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercising, alcohol
consumption as a health benefit would be considered minor. Dr. Cooper always says, if
you don’t drink, don’t start. There is no research to say that you should.

But if you do enjoy alcohol, moderation is key. Men and women should have no more
than one drink per day and keep in mind portion size. One drink is the equivalent of a 12
ounce beer, 5 ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor, which has approximately 15
grams of alcohol.

Read this Prevention Plus article (/Health-Tips/Prevention-Plus/Alcohol-and-Your-

Health.aspx) about the effects of alcohol on your health.

Manage your stress. We all get “stressed out” at some point. It’s part of life. Yet you
may not realize how dangerous it can be to your health—both physically and
emotionally.

Stress can raise blood pressure and resting heart rate and lead to weight gain. Every
single one of these things can cause cardiovascular disease. And if it goes untreated,
long-term stress can cause even more medical problems.

But, as Dr. Cooper says, it’s not stress that kills, it’s the way you handle it.

The best way to control stress? Exercise. Physical activity reduces stress and improves
health in so many different ways. It can boost the mood, improve energy and
significantly improve both quality and quantity of sleep. In fact, a study by The Cooper
Institute showed that doses of physical activity were as effective as taking prescription
drugs for mild to moderate depression.

Taking time to relax should not be a luxury! It’s important to find something that works
for you, and helps you balance your life. Take a deep breath and say, “ahhh.”

Get ideas for how you can relax and de-stress in our Stress Less (/Health-Tips/Stress-
Less.aspx) section. If you’re in the DFW area, visit Cooper Spa (/Cooper-Spa™-
Dallas.aspx) for a therapeutic, relaxing massage.

Get a regular, comprehensive physical exam. Our philosophy is simple: It’s easier
to maintain good health than to regain it once it's lost. The only way you can improve
your health is if you have a comprehensive, in-depth picture of the current state of your
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health. And that starts with a preventive physical exam.

At a minimum you should “know your numbers.” These are your laboratory results from
your blood work, and they contain vital information for your health. To start, make sure
you know your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

At Cooper Clinic, we look at the whole person including lifestyle and health behaviors to
inform and direct medical care.

Our physical exams are unlike any other. Completely customized based on your needs,
all tests are onsite, giving you same-day results. Patients also receive an in-depth
consultation with their physician—up to one hour—to go through any questions and
develop an action plan.

We recommend a baseline comprehensive physical exam between the ages of 35 and

40. Between ages 40 and 50, you should receive an exam every 12-18 months
depending on risk and ongoing health or behavior issues. Annual exams should begin at
age 50.

Many medical issues are completely preventive. Our physicians offer free health tips in
our Prevention Plus (/Health-Tips/Prevention-Plus.aspx) section. If you’d like to schedule
an appointment at Cooper Clinic, click here
(https://forms.cooperaerobics.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/2187/p/p-
000b/t/page/fm/0) or call us at 972.560.2667 (COOP).

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