Millions join in a mass rajio taiso workout broadcast daily for nearly 70 years`One, two, three, four ... five, six, seven, eight ...` That is the cue for half a dozen people braving a humid morning at Kamezuka park in Tokyo to bend, stretch, jump, and run on the spot. The groupīs personal trainer is a portable radio perched on the top of a childrenīs slide. A male voiceīs simple instructions, issued to a jaunty piano accompaniment, has become a staple of daily life in Japan since the broadcasts, known as rajio taiso (radio calisthenics), first hit the airwaves almost a century ago.The three-minute routine is the perfect way to start the day, says Yukihide Maruyama, a 79-year-old retired businessman who has performed the routine nearly every day for a decade. `The exercises arenīt that difficult and afterwards you feel like your body has properly woken up.`People who exercise this way have improved bone density and a reduced risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack Continue reading...
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