Photo of 1970 Brazilian FIFA World Cup team. Courtesy of Cooper Aerobics
Before the opening of the Cooper Aerobics Center, founder and chairman Dr. Kenneth Cooper helped Brazilian soccer coach Claudio Coutinho bring home the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
Cooper is widely regarded as the father of aerobics. He pioneered the preventative medicine and fitness movement, coining the term “aerobics” in 1968. In 1970, the Cooper Aerobics Center was built in Dallas. It is now a global wellness institute that focuses on fitness, disease prevention and longevity, according to the Center. The Cooper property includes a clinic, fitness center, spa, hotel and consulting services. Anyone over the age of five can become a member.
After hearing Cooper speak at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire in 1968, Coutinho asked Cooper to create a training program for Brazil’s players. Cooper’s work with the team aimed to improve the second half of play during a game, reduced injuries and increased aerobic fitness.
The team won six consecutive games reaching the final against Italy, the defending World Cup champions. Brazil and Italy were tied at the half, but Brazil scored three goals during the second half, winning the game and the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
The Cooper Test, a 12-minute physical fitness test used to measure cardiovascular fitness health, is widely used around the US, specifically in the military as well as in Brazil. Brazilian streets and promenades still have signs that mark distances for the Cooper Test, according to a press release from Cooper Aerobics, .
From the 1980s to 2006, FIFA required official referees to run 1.75 miles and linesmen to run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes to participate in the World Cup, and used the Cooper test as a guide. In preparation for the 1994 World Cup, FIFA sent referees to Cooper Aerobic Center for testing and training. The Center went on to host 55 officials during the tournament.
According to the press release, Coutinho’s daughter, Dr. Claudia Coutinho, and Cooper still keep in touch regularly. She recently visited Dallas for the launch of Cooper’s latest book, Grow Healthier as You Grow Older, which discusses his time in Brazil and the World Cup victory.
