Aerobics Program For Total Well-Being: Exercise, Diet , And Emotional Balance Review

After misplacing my copy of Cooper's earlier "The Aerobic Way," I purchased this book. This book is a bit weaker.

Cooper's unique "point system" is the book's greatest asset. The system is an elegantly simple, scientifically sound way to help you achieve health. Cooper assigns aerobic points to a wide variety of exercises, another huge plus.

How's good is this system? I have tracked my Cooper points since college in the late 80's as a runner/ jogger. As 40 approached, my knees began to rebel. To quell the revolt, I decided to switch from running/ jogging to cycling and cross-country machines. Having lost the earlier book, I went out of my way to buy this book so I could determine the point-level of the new regimen. That should tell the reader of the utility and draw of Cooper's over-all approach.

One vital thing Cooper added, which had been missing from the earlier book, is a series of pragmatic, easy-to-follow dietary recommendations. Eat lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains: complex carbohydrates. Focus on lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Avoid processed foods and gratuitous fats and simple sugars.

My criticisms begin with Cooper's questionable blanket statements regarding the fit versus sedentary: fit people are more creative, stress hardy, happy, effective and independent thinking than those in poor condition. Is this opinion or data driven? Never disclosing the sources of his statements, Cooper then prescribes exercise to improve a person's mental heath. Again, has this been proven with a double blind or thorough, longitudinal study? Or just dogma?

Lastly, there is a strange, almost comical messiah complex sprinkled through the text. Cooper mentions quite a few times that he was "chosen by God" to spread his gospel of preventative medicine. This is overkill, even for a Christian like me. A simple "I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help people lead healthier, happier lives," in either the Preface or Dedication pages would have sufficed.

With all these down-sides, however, I still have to grant the book a four-star rating based on Cooper's excellent point system and solid, if incomplete dietary recommendations. Now, if we could only weed out the silly pop-psychology and evangelical fervor, we'd have a great book...


Buy it here now!