Physical Activity and Health Guidelines

Riva L. Rahl, MD, is medical director of the Cooper Wellness Program at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas, where she counsels patients and clients regarding appropriate physical activity programs.

Board certified in both internal and emergency medicine, Rahl is a staff physician at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas and was previously chief resident in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern (Parkland) Hospital. She is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American College of Physicians, and USA Track and Field. She received her medical doctorate from the University of California at San Francisco in 1999.

Now a competitive marathoner, Rahl was a four-year varsity athlete in cross country and track and field at Rice University (Division I), where she studied biochemistry and exercise science. She has won several races, including the Dallas White Rock Marathon in 2000 and the Fort Worth Cowtown Marathon in 2000, 2002, and 2008.

Rahl and her husband, Brian, and two young sons reside in Dallas. Rahl enjoys training for race day, caring for her children, and traveling internationally.