Start Strong, Finish Strong [Hardcover]

Kenneth H. Cooper (Author), Tyler C. Cooper (Author), William Proctor (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2007

For many people, growing old means gradually slowing down-losing strength, balance, and even mental clarity. But is this physical decline inevitable? "Absolutely not!" say the Coopers.

Start Strong, Finish Strong is about living the life we all want-now and as we age. It's about breaking free from chronic pain and nagging injuries. It's about refusing to give up the activities we love and discovering new ones along the way.

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, the "father of aerobics" and the world's leading authority on preventive medicine, joins forces with his son, Dr. Tyler C. Cooper. Together they give readers the tools to start strong and finish strong. Exercise is the primary way to keep our bodies strong, flexible, and vital, so it's obviously a centerpiece to the plan. Other equally important components include the Coopers' unique "gold-standard" annual medical exams that can pinpoint potential health problems before they get out of control; good food in healthy portions; a strategic approach to supplements; help with bad habits like smoking and substance abuse; and a well-developed mind-spirit practice. Readers who follow Dr. Ken and Dr. Tyler Cooper's individualized, adjustable program can expect to feel younger with each passing year.

The Coopers' simple, intergenerational strategy for starting and finishing strong tackles obstacles that interfere with true fitness, gets to the root of common excuses, helps readers to identify special motivational "buttons" that will make them feel good as they get in shape, and explores the latest science that can enhance personal progress. Along the way, the Coopers bring their years of experience to readers with engaging case studies and stories.

Editorial Reviews

Review

<”>It is heartening to see this father/son team have such a concern for our nation’s health. Pick it up, read it, apply it—your life will change for the better.<”> --Jim Ryun, former world record holder in the mile

”Start Strong, Finish Strong provides a practical, comprehensive guide to diet and exercise, and more important, a lifestyle that will make you feel better, look better, and live a longer and more enjoyable life.” – Michael Johnson, five-time Olympic Gold Medalist

”For less than the cost of your insurance copay or a bottle of good vitamins, this book will help you have years of stronger, healthier, and happier living as you gain physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength.” – Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and author of Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., MPH, is widely recognized as the world's leading authority on preventive medicine and as the man who started a worldwide fitness revolution with his international bestseller Aerobics. Now in his seventies, Dr. Ken Cooper is a testament to the benefits of lifelong fitness, remaining an avid skier and competitive race-walker. In addition to his work at the world-renowned Cooper Clinic and Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, he is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and spokesperson for the "no trans fat" movement. The Coopers' research arm, the Cooper Institute, continues its work investigating how preventive medicine can help us lead longer, healthier lives.

Tyler C. Cooper, M.D., MPH, is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical School, San Antonio, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He is a preventive medicine specialist, an athlete, and the founder of Cooper Ventures, which strives to help people incorporate healthy living into every aspect of their lives. Doctors Ken and Tyler Cooper both live in Dallas.

William Proctor has worked on twelve books with Dr. Ken Cooper, including the New York Times bestseller Controlling Cholesterol and Controlling Cholesterol the Natural Way.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Avery (September 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583332820
• ISBN-13: 978-1583332825
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Exercise

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Some Realism, September 9, 2007

By 

Judith Sayland ""myiku poet"" (hatboro, pa.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Start Strong, Finish Strong (Hardcover)

I am a 68 year old retired R.N. and purchased this book two days ago. I have not read the entire text, so you may wonder why the five star rating. The reason is this. At the very beginning of the book, there is very illuminating information about motivation and habit formation. Believe me when I say this information has given me my own PERSONAL REASONS to enter into a fitness/health program. Motivation has always been my one, and most glaring obstacle to achieving optimal health. I applaud the authors in recognizing this very fact, and for addressing the issue with insight and understanding at the very beginning so the reader is armed with the answer to "why am I doing this" question. If one doesn't have a ready answer to that, any program is due to fail. So, pull this book off the shelf, glance at its sensible, and well-researched pages, and buy it. Never before have I had tangible ways to get motivated towards a healthy lifestyle. Thankyou, Doctors

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, August 13, 2008

By 

Douglas M. Johnson "Former Mesomorph" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Start Strong, Finish Strong (Hardcover)

I went for this book because of my particular history, and I was disappointed. I was fired from a job in April, 1968 for obesity and hyperlipemia. Ken Cooper's original book "Aerobics" had been published in March and became my bible in my odessey back to health. As I have aged I have developed leg and foot problems that make a treadmill or road work very painfull to use. So I recently bought "The Aerobics Program for Total Well-Being" to try to integrate the elliptical trainer into my program and was surprised to find that I had bought an antique published in 1985 before there were elliptical trainers. Then I went to the next book, this one, and found it to be a "rah, rah, let's exercise." I don't need to be convinced to exercise, I need specific data; and I found this book lacking.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Read, Indeed, February 1, 2008

By 

J. M. Sullivan (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Start Strong, Finish Strong (Hardcover)

Dr. Cooper has made and continues to make an incredible contribution to the collective body of intelligence on health and aging. It's just too bad so many adults choose to ignore his scientifically proven prescription for longevity and health. He's the "Father of Aerobics", but his true legacy will be the contribution he's making now for the next generation of Americans - our children - who are plagued with epidemic levels of obesity and associated poor fitness and health. For the first time since data have been kept on the topic, the projection on longevity is that it will actually decline - and decline significantly - in the U.S. in the next generation unless the trend in childhood obesity is reversed. Thank God Dr. Cooper turned down the invitation to become the U.S. Surgeon General in 2006 and began, instead, to focus on the problem at the state level in Texas where some progress can actually be made. As for this book, everything you need to know about living longer is there. The one thing it cannot teach you is the discipline to actually live the program. No book can do that.