aerobic points

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A scoring system, devised in the 1960s by Dr Kenneth C. Cooper, to compare the beneficial effects of different aerobic exercises on the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Each exercise is awarded points dependent on the type of exercise, its frequency, intensity, and duration. For example, a two mile walk completed in under 30 minutes, performed five times a week, scores 25 points; four sessions of aerobic dance classes per week scores 36 points. Dr Cooper argued that in order to develop cardiovascular fitness and protect the heart a person needs to earn at least 30 aerobic points each week. He popularized his ideas in eleven books selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. In 1970 he established the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas for research into the value of exercise and the practice of preventative, diagnostic, and rehabilitative medicine. His top five forms of aerobic exercise are:

• cross-country skiing
• swimming
• jogging
• cycling
• walking.

A system devised in the 1960s by Dr Kenneth C. Cooper to score the beneficial effects of different aerobic exercises on the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Each exercise is awarded points dependent on the type of exercise, its frequency, intensity, and duration. For example, a 2-mile walk completed in under 30 min, performed five times a week, scores 25 points; four sessions of aerobic dance classes per week scores 36 points. Dr Cooper proposed that in order to develop cardiovascular fitness a person needs to earn at least 30 aerobic points each week. Cooper's proposition that you have to expend a certain amount of energy to be healthy is generally supported, but the scientific validity of his point system has been questioned.