Faith-Based Fitness: The Medical Program That Uses Spiritual Motivation to Achieve Maximum Health and Add Years to Your Life

In Faith-Based Fitness, Dr Cooper writes, "Do I believe my body is good and worthy of being treated as a creation of God?" He challenged me to ask myself this question, and it has changed my life. I will never be the same.

This is the first book by Cooper that I read. And it is an excellent resource for the person wanting to get into shape. Cooper presents all the information one needs to get started and stay motivated.What makes this book unique is the Christian orientation Cooper gives to fitness. He states, "... the belief required for a `fitness conversion' involves a conviction about your body and health that should be an outgrowth of your basic spiritual worldview" (p. 17).So the faith that Cooper is referring to in the title is not just a belief in the importance of fitness but one that is an outgrowth of strong spiritual convictions. Such a faith would include the belief that the body is sacred and should be taken care of. He even includes a chapter of soul-searching questions for the reader to ask to determine your spiritual state as it relates to your health and suggestion for improving it.The bulk of the book is occupied with giving specific workout schedules to follow for starting an exercise program. These include exercises for increasing ones level of endurance, flexibility, and strength. Cooper outlines programs for walking, jogging, cycling (both outdoor and stationary bikes), and swimming. So the reader can choose what type of exercise most fits you and have a detailed routine to follow. If you stick with the routines you are sure to increase your level of fitness. And Cooper provides encouragements along the way to help you stay motivated. He even dispels some exercise myths that might discourage the budding exercise enthusiast.I read this book at a time when I was really making an effort to get back into shape. I didn't follow the specific routines Cooper gives, but I did get many good ideas from reading this book. It gave me a standard by which to measure my fitness levels. And I appreciated the fact that Cooper is a Christian and looks at the spiritual side of health, even citing a few Bible verses along the way.So if the reader has allowed yourself to get out of shape as I did, I would strongly encourage you attain this book to help you get motivated and to give you the information you need to begin improving your health.This book provides such a good treatment on how to go about starting an exercise routine that I refer to it in the chapter on this subject in my book "Creationist Diet: Nutrition and God-given Foods According to the Bible." My book provides an overview of the most important points one needs to know, and Cooper's book provides the details.

I bought this book hoping for more motivation to exercise. As a Christian, I understand the concept of prayer and knowing God's plan for my health. Dr. Kenneth Cooper has established himself as the "father of aerobics" but this book takes the importance of exercise to a spiritual level as a motivation to obtain health. Reading this book made me rethink my responsibility in taking care of myself as God intended. Many of the ills we experience are brought on by not following the simple health guidelines in the Bible. Also, Dr. Cooper discusses the mind/body connection in obtaining optimum fitness levels and healing. Included in the book are fitness programs for walking, treadmills, jogging, bicycling, etc. It brings together both spirituality and fitness as ideal partners in establishing a healthy body and mind.