For more than half a century, Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, has inspired millions to exercise for better health since the release of his groundbreaking bestseller Aerobics in 1968.
Today, Dr. Cooper continues to revolutionize health and fitness—calling on America and the world to Get Cooperized™. As a pioneer of preventive medicine, he challenges everyone to follow his 8 Healthy Steps to live better both sooner and later: maintain a healthy weight; eat well most of the time; exercise regularly; take the right supplements for you; stop smoking; control alcohol; manage stress and prioritize sleep; and receive regular, comprehensive physical exams.
Recognized internationally as the leader of the physical-fitness movement, Dr. Cooper has motivated more people to exercise in pursuit of good health than anyone else. His guiding philosophy—“It is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet, and emotional balance than to regain it once it is lost,” has been validated repeatedly through scientific research.
Dr. Cooper has lectured in more than 50 countries. In Brazil, he trained the 1970 World Cup winning soccer team, and in his honor, “jogging” is translated as coopering in Portuguese. In Hungary, the cooperteszt remains the national fitness test.
In addition to Aerobics, which has been translated into 41 languages and into Braille, Dr. Cooper has authored 19 other books that together have sold more than 30 million copies. With his son, Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, he co-authored Start Strong, Finish Strong in 2007. March 2013 marked the 45th Anniversary of Dr. Cooper’s bestseller, Aerobics. At that time, he also coined a new word and submitted the official definition to the Oxford English Dictionary. In 2025, he released his latest book, Grow Healthier as You Grow Older by the Father of Aerobics: How a Life Devoted to Preventive Medicine Fostered the Global Fitness Revolution.
During 13 years of service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, Dr. Cooper was a flight surgeon and director of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory in San Antonio. His work with NASA helped design the astronaut conditioning and in-flight anti-deconditioning programs. He also developed the 12-minute and 1.5-mile fitness tests and the Aerobic Point System, still used by military, athletic, and educational organizations worldwide.
In 1970, Dr. Cooper resigned from the military to explore the relationship between cardiovascular fitness and health and longevity. He founded Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, where he serves as Chairman. His mission is shared by his son, Tyler Cooper, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Cooper Aerobics and a preventive medicine physician at Cooper Clinic, along with hundreds of teammates—all working together to Cooperize the world.
Dr. Cooper’s calling became personal at age 29, when a water skiing incident led him to believe he was having a heart attack. Told instead that he was simply out of shape, he lost 40 pounds, improved his fitness, and ran the Boston Marathon a year later—a transformation that solidified his lifelong dedication to prevention.
Born March 4, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Dr. Cooper was inspired by his father, a periodontist who instilled the values of preventive medicine. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Medicine from The University of Oklahoma, and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University School of Public Health. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
At age 94, having logged more than 38,000 miles running, Dr. Cooper continues to set the example—exercising regularly at the Cooper Aerobics Center and proving that prevention truly works.
Follow Dr. Cooper:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kenneth-h-cooper-9aba03361/
Buy His Book: Grow Healthier as You Grow Older by the Father of Aerobics: How a Life Devoted to Preventive Medicine Fostered the Global Fitness Revolution