Need to amp up your morning exercise routine? We’ve got you covered.
Radio calisthenics, or rajio taisō (ラジオ体操) in Japanese, has a long history in Japan. It was first introduced to the country in 1928 to commemorate the coronation of then-emperor Hirohito, and is still broadcast today to music on NHK radio in the early morning. The exercises, for the most part, include some gentle stretches and arm swinging; nothing too strenuous. As such, even the elderly can participate, and a common image Japanese people have when thinking of rajio taisō is an old jii-san (grandfather) or baa-san (grandmother) doing these calisthenics at home or in the park, though some elementary schools or offices might even have their students or workers do some similar exercises in the morning.
▼ What the standard rajio taisō looks like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4d7N5SyvI
If exercising ain’t your thing, you may be more interested in these calisthenics for lazy people, but if you’re thinking you need a morning routine that’s a little more challenging, the Japan Self-Defense Forces has just the thing.
The routine is nearly five minutes long, and begins with some running in place, kicks paired with arm-swinging, and neck stretching, then quickly changes into lunges, elaborate windmill-like moves, and more that there aren’t really words to describe.
The video was originally posted to YouTube almost seven years ago but people are still taking interest:
“Is this the new Billy’s Boot Camp?”
“This is really tough but if you can keep at it you’ll definitely lose weight.”
“I laughed when I first watched this but then tried it for myself and really worked up a sweat lol.”
“I tried my best to do this after doing radio calisthenics but couldn’t keep up lol. I wonder how long I’ll have to keep trying until I get it.”
So if you want to improve your health, flexibility, and insane calisthenics moves, be sure to give this a try!
Source: YouTube/ 陸上自衛隊 広報チャンネル
Reference: Wikipedia