This is mainly aimed at the generation above 40. Cooper reaffirms his belief in aerobics, but doesn't mention the new research in interval training that seems to displace his old steady pace concept. He also covers stretching, strength training, diet and supplementation. Cooper is not really very strong on strength and his advice is probably better avoided in that area.

On supplementation, Cooper's prescriptions seem to be safe if one is to overlook that a previous recommedation, taking extra beta carotene, has proven to be a problem for many people.

The book mostly comes off as a bunch of notes that were gathered together in a hurry. The case stories are pretty uninspiring. His introductory story about falling off a mountain bike seems to have no relevance to anything. And references to himself as "Super Doc" are, to say the least, irritating.

By inventing the concept of aerobics, Cooper has done the world a service. Yes, the promise of aerobics has not been fulfilled in practice, but Cooper's recommendations are better than nothing, which is pretty much what they replaced. However, the Doc needs to move along and keep up with the exercise research coming out of other countries, as The United States is behind the learning curve in this area. His intentions are good, but he either has to teach this dog to hunt or turn the quest over to a hungrier author.

27 of 32 found the following review helpful:


The best, well documented book on fitness and nutrution  Aug 28, 1999
This book has helped me to understand the importance of good nutrition and fitness as no other book or speaker ever has. It was well researched, and many different aspects of fitness and nutrition are covered to provide excellent health for different age groups.


Kenneth Cooper fitness  Dec 04, 2010 By James R. Bristow "Green Baron"
This book is less "quantitative" on Cooper points from his earlier aerobics books. Recognizes the need for resistance training as you get older.

10 of 21 found the following review helpful:


Good suggestions on reducing the ravishes of advancing age  Apr 21, 2001 By Gary F. Zeolla "Director of Darkness to Light ministry and of Fitness for One and of All"
This books presents basic information anyone can incorporate to try to evade the ravishes of advancing age. Cooper gives recommendations in regards to exercise, stress management, diet, supplements, and related matters that will help people to retain their youthful energy.

He also explains that most people have unrealistic expectations on how much their physical abilities will decline with advancing age. Most people tend to think the decline is much more rapid and pronounced than it really is. This is particularly encouraging to me since I just turned 40!

His recommendations in regards to exercise include doing aerobic, strength training, and flexibility exercises. It is important for one to do all three kinds of exercises. Doing so will reduce the loss that most people experience in each of these areas.

He correctly notes that emotional stress can be as much a drain on one's vitality as poor exercise and diet habits. And as a Christian, I appreciate that he emphasizes that spiritual activities like prayer, Bible study, and attending worship services are ideal ways to deal with stress.

In regards to diet, he presents "bedrock principles" like eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing one's intake of fat. And he correctly points out that trans fat, found in hydrogenated oils, are the worst kind of fat. He doesn't go into too much detail in regards to diet in this book. But what he does give I tend agree with as I present similar information in much greater detail in my book "Creationist Diet: Nutrition and God-given Foods According to the Bible."

But it is in regards to supplements that I disagree with Cooper. He wholeheartedly recommends high doses of the antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E, along with the mineral selenium. He claims taking amounts several times the RDA helps to prevent heart disease and cancer. However, the evidence is not as clear-cut as Cooper makes it sound. I include a chapter in my book citing scientific studies in this regard. Some have shown a reduced risk from taking antioxidants, but other studies have shown no effect.

But that disagreement aside, this book does present helpful information for those of us who are starting to worry about our health and vitality as we age.

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