Before moving, I used to drive to the gym, but now that I don't have my car and all the gyms are too far to walk or bike to, I've just been doing some strength training and Tai-Chi in my room. In my hometown of Toyama, I saw a lot of elderly people who can't go anywhere by themselves after giving up driving. It's really difficult to go somewhere without a car in the rural areas in Japan. That's one of the reasons why I left Toyama. I want to stay able to get around on my own, hopefully for the rest of my life.
Anyway, I've been looking for a good way to stay fit and found out that a local group does Radio Taisō in a nearby park. I joined them the day before yesterday, so today is my third day. It's only about a 10-minute walk to the park, but the path is quite hilly with steep ups and downs, so just walking to the park and back is also a great aerobic workout for me.
Radio Taisō has nearly a hundred years of history. Almost all Japanese people know the choreography and automatically start moving when we hear the music. I think very few people outside Japan know it — except Via-chan — so here's a video:
Japanese Full-body Exercise "Radio Taiso" in English
There are some jumping parts that I can't do in my room; the stomping would annoy the people living downstairs. Besides, it's really refreshing to go outside and soak in the morning sun. I hope I can maintain this habit for a long time.
I've only heard it be called "radio calisthenics" before. Hopefully we adopt "taiso" because it's so much easier to say & spell 😅 Radio taiso was in the latest Animal Crossing (動物の森) game, released during the COVID-19 pandemic. It introduced the idea to many people in the west, including me. I've not made it part of my routine but maybe I should...
@schmamie Oh, I thought you might know it, but I didn't expect it to be well-known in the West. There are a bunch of exercises of the newest styles, like HIIT or Zumba, but I think Radio Taisō is enough for me. It's easy and simple once you remember the choreography. I highly recommend it.
Having a nice walk to and from the park is just the cherry on top! Sounds like a great way to start the day. I usually go outside and start doing it all tired with a frown, but I always end up smiling (usually because I mess up the timing haha), and by the end I'm in such a good mood. Thanks Japan! haha
@via-chan As you know, Radio Taisō is broadcast on the radio from 6:30 am, but our group does it at 8:00 am. It's getting colder in Japan, but I think 8:00 am is the best time — not too cold in winter and not too hot in summer. Winter in Tokyo isn't that cold to me anyway.