“One, two, three, four…five, six, seven, eight…"That is the signal for half a dozen people braving a humid morning at Kamezuka park in Tokyo to bend. stretch. jump, and run on the spot. The group's personal trainer is a portable radio fixed on the top of a children's slide. A male voice's simple instructions, issued to a lively piano accompaniment, have become a necessity of daily life in Japan since the broadcasts, known as Rajio Tais (radio calisthenics广播操), first hit the airwaves almost a century ago.
In 2003, the most recent year for which data is available, 27 million people said they took part in morning calisthenics more than twice a week, whether at work, at home in front of the TV or with Neighbors in the local park. Children perform Rajio Taiso before school sports days or during special summer holiday sessions, earning credits that can be exchanged for snacks, stationery and other gifts.
Regular participants cover a broad cross-section of Japanese society:construction, factory and office workers including the 10, 000 employees of the Tokyo metropolitan government, who are encouraged to leave their desks and start moving at 3 p. m. every weekday.
There are two standard routines-the second slightly more challenging than the first-each involving arm rotations, forward bends, straddle jumps and other aerobic exercises designed to move every muscle and leave participants slightly out of breath. In 1999, a routine was added for people who use wheelchairs or have other mobility issues.
＂Studies show that people who exercise this way for just a few minutes a day have improved bone density, reduced risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack, and are generally in better physical shape than other people their age who don't exercise, "says Yasuo Fukusnl, secretary general of the Japan Radio Taiso Federation.
＂There has never been any pressure to modernise the programme, because people have grown up with it and know it off by heart, "adds Fukushi, who believes the routine helps explain the impressive lifespan (寿命) of Japanese people.
＂We even do this when it rains, "says Tomomi Okamoto, a company director who joins the Kamezuka park sessions in all weathers. "It gets the blood pumping and I always feel much better afterwards. It's a great way to start the day, "she says. "But it's not just about the exercise- it is a way of communicating with your neighbors and getting to know people. "
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Introduction |
●Radio calisthenics have won ain Japanese daily life. |
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●Children performing radio calisthenics to earn credits infor gifts. ●Adults from all walks of life encouraged to participate. |
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Different routines |
●Two standard routinesvarious aerobic exercises, leaving performers a bit. ●In 1999, an extra one was designed for thosechallenged. |
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Potential benefits |
●Compared with those who don't exercise, people who keep exercising per day are in better, with bones and hearts strengthened. ●People who make it a habit to exercise are likely to have their lifespan ●Some individuals consider Radio calisthenics an exercise as well as a way of. |
