New Memorial Hermann/HBU Wellness Center Emphasizes Total Wellness

The new Memorial Hermann/HBU Wellness Center, emphasizing healthy living through total wellness, opened at the end of October with a week-long celebration.

The $16 million, 80,000-square-foot facility is named the B. J. and Margaret R. Bradshaw Wellness Center in honor of the Bradshaw family, who donated $2 million to the effort. The Wellness Center takes a holistic approach to wellness by focusing on the physical, social, psychological and spiritual components of health.

During the week's events, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, known as the "father of the aerobics movement," discussed the keys to healthy living in his presentation Health and Longevity - Making the Odds Work for You.

"If you want to slow down the aging process, three things that must be eliminated initially are tobacco in any form, inactivity and obesity," said Dr. Cooper, founder of The Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas, in an interview with the TMC News prior to his presentation.

"Our population is aging, there's no question about that. And it's also the heaviest it's ever been in this country," said Dr. Cooper. "The fact is we're going to become dependent, sedentary and lose our quality of life as we live longer unless we stop and regroup and start improving our fitness."

Dr. Cooper said that data from The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research shows it doesn't take more than about 30 minutes of sustained activity, like brisk walking three times a week, to make a difference.

For those who are just beginning an exercise routine or who are resuming one after a hiatus, Dr. Cooper suggests doing so slowly and progressively. "We strongly recommend that men past 40 and women past 50 should have some type of stress electrocardiogram before they get started," he said. "If you have any history of heart disease, high blood pressure or any major medical problem, no matter what your age, you should check with your physician first."

To those who say they don't have time for exercise, Dr. Cooper has a quick response. "Just follow me for the day. ... If I can find the time working 60 hours a week, they can find the time. It's amazing how people can find the time after their first heart attack."

An athlete in high school and college, Dr. Cooper reached medical school and got "too busy and didn't have enough time" for exercise. He gained 40 pounds during his medical school internship. It was an attempt at waterskiing that sounded the wake-up call.

"Here I was 29 years of age, totally deconditioned," he said. "I had been an athlete in high school and college, and in just a very short period of time I deteriorated."

He resolved to get back in shape, lost the weight, and within a year ran his first marathon. He hasn't stopped since.

Located at 7732 Southwest Freeway, the Wellness Center features a full-sized gymnasium with a walking/jogging track above it, a four-pool aquatic center, aerobics and spinning rooms and a cardiovascular exercise and weight area. In addition to the areas for physical fitness, the Wellness Center offers an outdoor meditation garden and other quiet places for reflection.

More than just a place to workout, the Wellness Center will hold cooking classes and other educational programs on such topics as stress reduction and diabetes management. It is also home to the Mind/Body Medical Institute, an affiliate of the Mind/Body Medical Institute of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School founded by Dr. Herbert Benson in 1988 for the study of behavioral medicine.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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