A 3-minute Japanese drill.

 

Healthy habits are learnt through rigorous practice serving a healthy body. Initially, many of us had forgotten the importance of those minimalist efforts made in order to serve the purpose of achieving a healthy and happy lifestyle. Today we'll go back in time to Japan and experience a traditional practice of their daily routine that anyone of us can adopt simply through repetition and discipline.‘Rajio Taisou’ also known as Radio exercise is one of the common features of summer in Japan. Let us now examine the way in which it is executed. As all of us comprehend that our bodies move naturally if we hear a theme song or a piano sound. Well, have you ever noticed elderly people in the park doing calisthenics? Have you ever seen students doing exercises in their physical education classes or starring in Japanese anime? Have you ever come across students gathering in the park or school early in the morning during their summer vacations? 

It is a calisthenic 10-minute exercise programme broadcast on NHK, Japan’s public broadcasting station, that guides warm-up exercises while playing piano music. It was created for people of all ages to do on their own, and there is also a version that allows us to do it while sitting, so everyone from children to the elderly can participate. It is regarded as a simple and effective exercise that employs simple motions to engage muscles of the entire body. 

‘Directions to Practice Rajio Taisou’

The entire program is divided into two sections including 13 different motions in each and every section. This is followed for approximately 3 minutes. The first section aims to increase physical strength in people of all ages. The first half part of it is known as “Rajio Taisou Dai ichi '' whereas the second half is known as “Rajio Taisou Dai ni '' is aimed at a younger generation, primarily for muscle training. 

Following are the 13 standard motions included in part one: 

1. The first step starts from rotating your arms and stretching them. Raise your arms up from your sides, then stretch your back and bring your arms down from your side. 

2. Cross your arms and spread them while bending your legs up and down. Bend your knees and swing your arms. This will help strengthen your body structure. 

3. Move your arms around. Swing your arms around in full circles to the outside and then back in. 

4. Take a step back (chest out) , spread your legs to the left, open your shoulders, swing your arms, stretch your chest with an inward breath. It enables to relieve tension or pain and increases blood circulation.

5. Start turning your body sideways. Bend sideways with one arm up and over your head, then stretch your side twice from the right. 

6. This includes bending your body back and forth. Bend forward three times to touch the ground, then bounce with your hands on your waist and backbend. 

7. Now, begin with a swing. Commence with swinging your arms and twist your body first to the left, then to the right. This helps in  decreasing body and back stiffness. 

8. Stretch your body along with your arms in both the directions up and down. Hands are supposed to be on your shoulders with your legs spread to the left, stretch up then down. 

9. Extend your chest out and then bend your body diagonally downwards. Then bend towards your right toe twice, then up and open your arms, stretch your chest and then down towards your left. Repeat the same in order to alleviate lower back pain. 

10. This step includes rotating your entire body by making a circle using your upper body and then repeat the similar from the other side. 

11. Perform a double leg jump by hopping on both feet up four times, end this step by closing your legs two times. 

12. Open out your arms apart and then start bending and stretching your legs. Act  along a light squat by swinging your arms. 

13. The last step is as above: Take a deep breath and slowly stretch both arms. Try to control your breathing by taking deep breaths in and out while moving your arms up and down. 

In case you're someone who loves following fitness routines by demonstrating and watching people exercise on YouTube.  You can consider those videos and seek some help from them as well. This three minute Japanese stretch encourages using momentum and weight of our own body without the need of any gym equipment. It is believed to be a key to life longevity and better health conditions. We can all follow this effortless way to lesser diseases and improved blood flow with numerous other benefits. That’s all for today. We hope that ‘Rajio Taisou’ makes a place among abounding hearts. Thank you for sparing your valuable time and giving it a read. See you in our upcoming blog. 

By Pratiksha (Team SYNC)

Nature: The secret tip to keep you fit..

 

'Beautiful things don't crave for attention' 

said the world famous Irish writer, James thurber. The greatest example in front of us.

It never demands our attention and so sometimes nature gets underrated. But here, let me try to prove how helpful and beneficial nature is for maintaining a good health and how it knowingly or unknowingly plays an important role in keeping us fit and healthy

Nature is the source of all emotions, all living and non living factors of life.

We have all took birth from nature.

And therefore if we have a problem, why search for solutions elsewhere, when you have your mother nature welcoming you open hands, with the right solutions.

• Let me list down what I'm trying to convey through this write up.

1. Regarding mental health benefits, nature has a very wide definition. It can mean green spaces like parks, woodland or forests and blue spaces like rivers, wetlands, beaches or canals. It also includes trees on an urban street, private gardens, verges and even indoor plants or window boxes. Surprisingly, even watching nature documentaries is good for our mental health. This is great news as it means the mental health benefits of nature can be made available to nearly every one of us, no matter where we live. In short, nature could be the best therapist in your city.
2. Regarding physical health, in a study of 20,000 people, a team led by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces — local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits — were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. Two hours was a hard boundary: The study, showed there were no benefits for people who didn’t meet that threshold. 

Spending time in nature can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. So nature is possibly the best doctor in your locality!

• Talking about diseases, here too we have nature at rescue.

Treatment using earth, air, sunlight, water and a regulated, primarily raw vegetarian diet to treat a spectrum of medical conditions could be the best solution with out any side effects. It is now often referred to as Naturopathy, a designation which reflects early 20th century professionalization. 

Widely known as Prakrtic Chikitsa in India, naturopathy could be solutions to high health risk diseases like heart attacks and even cancers.

Naturopathy focuses on Trusted Source:

The body’s capacity to heal itself.

Preventing health problems.

A personal responsibility to optimize health.

Naturopathic treatment plans focus on education and prevention. They often emphasize diet, exercise, and stress management.

Nature itself provides us with the solutions to all our problems. It contributes to mental fitness which further enhances our physical health.

We all originated from nature, and in the end we go back to nature. So why don't we respect our mother nature and run to her for solutions.

Let's build a strong world, a healthy world, and get inspired from our forefathers, who always lived close to nature.

By Lenha Safiya( SYNC )