This is How The Japanese Fell in Love with Exercise - Rajio Taiso

 There are multiple reasons why the Japanese People are the longest living people on earth with exercise being one the major contributing factors. But did you know that the Japanese have a regular exercise program that broadcasts on the national radio station every morning at 6:30am?  Welcome to the world of Rajio Taiso!   

Rajio Taiso literally means Radio Calisthenics in Japanese.  This series of stretches and light movements closely resembles a calisthenics routine.  It is often done in schools and the workplace mid afternoon as a quick pick me up. Rajio Tasio is even done in groups in many of the public parks in Japan.

It is said that Rajio Taiso was introduced to Japan in the 1920's when an employee of a Japanese Insurance Company proposed a similar version of health exercises that were broadcast on the radio in The United States.  By 1927 various Japanese Government Departments, in consultation with each other, had created a series of exercises that commenced being broadcast on the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) in 1928.

Believe it or not, it was the job of the Japanese Postal Workers across the country to provide people with a pamphlet describing how to do the exercises and hold a training session in each prefecture.  By 1938 it is said that as many as 157 million people participated in the exercises every year in Japan.

After World War Two ended, the Allied Forces band the exercises for some time as they considered them to be totalitarian in nature.  Eventually calisthenic exercises with slower, less militaristic moves were created to much slower music, but they failed and their broadcast was suspended.  A new way had to be found to get the Japanese people up and moving again.

By 1951 a set of new exercises were created to much lighter music.  These exercises and music specifically targeted all age groups, any gender or age group.  The Japanese government had a "hit" on their hands and in no time at all the new Rajio Taiso routines were disseminated nationwide.

Rajio Taiso routines were practiced on school grounds and in parks during the school holidays.  Free attendance cards were given to students at school and if they participated in the early morning session, their cards were stamped.  If you got enough stamps by the end of the summer you could receive a pencil or notebook.  And if you had perfect attendance you would receive a commemorative item.  According to a recent survey as many as 27 million Japanese people still practice Rajio Taiso at least twice a week.

What are the Benefits of Rajio Taiso?

1 - Increased Life Expectancy

When Rajio Taiso was introduced to Japan in the 1920's, the average life expectancy of a Japanese individual was around 40 years.  Move forward a century and Japanese people are the longest living people on earth with an average lifespan of 80 years plus.

2 - Increased Metabolic Rate

Medical tests showed that those individuals who continue to carry out the exercises have a higher metabolic rate than those who do not.

3 - Decrease in Biological Age

We have all heard that age is just a number, but medical tests have proven that those people who participate in Rajio Taiso regularly, have a much higher degree of internal health.  This information can be ascertained by measuring an individuals BioMarkers (short for biological markers).  These are clinical observations such as your heart rate or blood pressure.

4 - Rajio Taiso is Great for the Community and Mental Health

As previously mentioned, Rajio Taiso is practiced in many public spaces in Japan.  People meet with their friends and family to participate in their daily exercise routine, or just take time out of their busy day for a "mental health" break.

Now you know all about Rajio Taiso, do you want to have a go?  

The routine itself is designed for all ages and is not very hard.  It can also be completed without any equipment.  Below is videos of multiple routines with some sitting down and others up to the X-Treme level if you choose.  

But most importantly, have fun.  And if you are feeling really game, why not grab a friend and start a craze and do them in public places?

Above ~ Radio Exercise No 1

Above ~ Radio Exercise No 2

Above ~ If you find that you cannot exercise standing up, then you can still do Rajio Taiso.  The video above will guide you through Radio Exercise No 1

Above ~ This video shows all three levels of Rejio Taiso ie Original, Hard and X-Treme.

Above ~ For those of you who are ComiCon Fans, this one is for you!

And look what else I found! Definitely a sign of the times we are all experiencing.