Why not celebrate your 80th birthday with a 3-mile jog or a game of racquetball? A vigorous old age can be yours, according to Dr. Kenneth Cooper. It just takes planning-now.
Cooper, the father of aerobics, has been spreading his prescription for living a vital, active, healthy life since the late `60s, when his first book, ”Aerobics,” was published.
The 57-year-old cardiologist, who looks like a model for his message, delivered the keynote address to more than 500 participants at the National Conference on Fitness and Nutrition. The two-day seminar, held recently at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here, was attended by professionals in health and exercise fields. It featured panels of experts who related various aspects of exercise and nutrition to sports, gerontology, pediatrics, schools and the community.
”Since we`re living longer,” said Cooper, in rapid-fire staccato, pausing just long enough to inhale, ”how well we live, how active we can be, is what matters. And we can plan for it by making changes in the way we live.” His message of wellness boils down to changing one`s lifestyle through diet and exercise and practicing prevention through testing and evaluation.
MAKING PROGRESS
His message, and that of people who share his ideology, is being heard. We`re making progress as a nation in improving our health, according to Cooper, who plowed through graphs and statistics during his hourlong address to prove it.
Smoking is down. In 1987, 30 percent of American men and 28 percent of women smoked, a drop from 52 percent of men and 34 percent of women in 1968.
Exercise is up. In 1986, 51 percent of American adults exercised on a regular basis; in 1968, less than 24 percent did.
Death rate from disease is down. From 1968 to 1987, there has been a 37 percent decrease in deaths from heart attacks, 50 percent decrease from strokes, 60 percent decrease from hypertension.
While pleased with those statistics, Cooper refuses to rest. Until everyone kicks the habit, obesity gets under control, incidence of heart disease dwindles and children become fit, there are enormous challenges that face health-care professionals. Among them:
Smoking. Cooper says smoking must be tackled through physician counseling and programs on the job, in schools and in the community. Even the elderly who have smoked for 20 or 30 years must be encouraged to quit. Studies show chronic smoking interferes with blood circulation in the brain. But within two weeks of quitting, blood flow has improved even in veteran smokers.
Nonsmokers must insist on a clean environment. Even those who don`t smoke but work in a smoke-filled office inhale the equivalent of one cigarette a day. Pregnant women who smoke are at a greater risk of having a spontaneous abortion, premature birth and low birth-weight babies than nonsmokers. Women who smoke and use birth-control pills are nine times more likely to have a heart attack than women who don`t smoke or use birth-control pills.
Weight control. Permanent weight loss can be accomplished only through lifestyle changes, not fad diets or fasting. Weight should be gauged by body type, not insurance charts. Cooper espouses the ”less is more” approach to weight and percentage of body fat. A formula is used to determine a base weight at his Aerobics Center in Dallas: For men, take height in inches times 4 and subtract 128. For women, take height in inches times 3.5 and subtract 108. This figure is increased or decreased by several pounds once body type is determined through wrist, hip, neck and waist measurements.
To fight obesity-an excessive amount of body fat-people should be measured by medical professionals using calipers (pinchers that measure skin- fold thickness) or underwater weighing (a measurement of how much water your body displaces). Cooper recommends that men have a body fat percentage of 15 to 19 percent, and women, 18 to 22 percent. Again, Cooper`s percentages are conservative if compared with those of many medical professionals.
Should you lose weight? Try the pride test: In the privacy of your bedroom, strip in front of a full-length mirror. Put a bag with two holes for your eyes over your head and take an objective look at what you see. If you are not proud of it, then do something about it.
Cholesterol. Weight control, diet changes and exercise work together to lower cholesterol. But some people manufacture more than others. Only 30 percent of cholesterol in the body gets there because of what you eat. The liver manufactures 70 percent of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Only through testing can your level be determined. Adults should have a cholesterol level of 200 or less.
Reduce fats in your diet to help control cholesterol. The average American diet is about 45 percent fat; reduce it to less than 30 percent. Daily cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams. The average American consumes 450 mg. a day. One egg yolk contains 253 mg. Eating more fiber-rich foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, dried beans and oat bran is advised.
Alcohol. Despite some publicized evidence that a certain amount of alcohol can increase levels of the good types of cholesterol, Cooper points out that it can have negative effects on overall health. He advises no more than 10 drinks a week-one drink being equal to one can of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of hard liquor.
Youth. Children and teens with a family history of heart disease should get their cholesterol tested during puberty. Others should have it done by the age of 20. Because heart disease is a product of years of incubation, testing is one way to monitor and prevent it.
While adults have made progress in improving their health, children have fallen behind. Cooper points the finger at politicians. Physical education courses are often the first to be dropped when school systems tighten their budgets. Lawmakers must share the responsibility for youth fitness. They need to re-evaluate priorities and institute mandatory guidelines for physical education in school. Illinois is the only state with requirements for daily exercise in school.
Exercise. Moderation and consistency are the keys to making exercise a lifestyle. Thirty minutes of exercise three to four times a week is adequate to maintain cardiovascular fitness. Any more and you run the risk of injury. Cooper says that if you`re running more than 15 miles a week or doing aerobic dancing more than four hours a week, you`re doing it for something other than cardiovascular fitness. He recommends brisk walking, jogging, cross-country skiing, cycling and swimming.
Disease prevention. The key to prevention is testing, evaluation and education. ”The heart is masterful in disguising its problems. The best way to avoid heart disease is to pick your parents,” Cooper explains. Otherwise, check your heart`s health with a stress test. He recommends one every three years. –
