In 1968, Dr. Kenneth Cooper published the landmark book Aerobics, which popularized the importance of aerobic exercise for good health. A major concept in the book was the Cooper Points system. This system (still in use at the Cooper Fitness Center) helps people to understand that there are many ways to get aerobic exercise.
You can combine several activities to meet the weekly goal of points. The different activities are assigned point values based on the intensity of activity.
The following chart contains examples of points accumulated for some common activities. The goal of the program is to help people accumulate a certain number of points in a given week. Guidelines are provided to help people track and monitor their performance.
| Very Poor |
less than 10 |
less than 8 |
| Poor |
10-20 |
8-15 |
| Fair |
21-31 |
16-26 |
| Good |
32-50 |
27-40 |
| Excellent |
51-74 |
41-64 |
| Superior |
75+ |
65+ |
