People in Okinawa Blue Zone Swear by This Simple 5-Minute Exercise to Start Their Day

• One of the keys to a long and healthy life might be as simple as a five-minute Japanese workout.
• This low-intensity routine is still practiced by millions of people of all ages in Japan.
• Here’s what you need to know about this simple workout routine. 

The first time I was introduced to a Japanese workout routine called Radio Taiso was on a trip to Japan in 2020. Radio Taiso is translated as “radio calisthenics,” and it’s based on a public-radio broadcast that began in 1928 in Japan.

Bleary-eyed and jetlagged after a long day of traveling from the US to Tokyo en route to Mt. Fuji, I was wide awake at 6:30 a.m. I turned on the TV in my hotel room to find a local broadcast of three women doing a low-intensity workout to an instrumental tune.

The broadcast was short, not more than a few minutes long, and even though it was in Japanese, the exercises were easy enough to follow. One woman was seated while the other two remained standing. Over the course of three minutes, they made small and intentional movements with their arms, necks, and legs.

Eventually, I turned the TV off and went back to sleep.

It wasn’t until a few years later, on a recent solo trip to the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, that I learned what I had seen on TV that morning.

It’s a 5-minute exercise routine

Before setting off on an early morning trek along the Genka River, my friend Hikari invited me to practice a simple workout routine that included the exact same gestures and song.

Known all throughout Japan as Radio Taiso, Hiraki said she starts each and every morning doing this five-minute exercise with her coworkers at the Treeful Treehouse.

“I have so many nice memories with the Radio Taiso song,” Hikari told me. “Part of my work is building treehouses, so we start every day stretching our body with that song.”

All across Japan, people have been practicing Radio Taiso for almost a century. The five-minute low-intensity routine that’s meant to “wake up” your mind and your muscles with movement is traditionally practiced first thing in the morning and can be done by just about anybody, at any age, regardless of physical limitations or mobility issues.

It was introduced in 1928

One of the world’s five designated Blue Zones, Okinawa boasts one of the highest concentrations of centenarians on the planet. Japan has the longest life expectancy on earth due to a healthy diet and exercise. Hikari said her experience with Radio Taiso started as early as elementary school.

“During summer vacation, each village, office, or school played the Radio Taiso music, and students would go and exercise with friends,” Hikari said. “We also exercised with the song every time we started physical education class and sports events.”

I find it a great way to start my day

While the practice is largely meant to promote physical well-being as well as social interaction — both of which are major tenets of the Blue Zone philosophy — I find that when I do Radio Taiso, it’s just as much about mindfulness as well.

Today, millions of people across the country continue the practice of Radio Taiso. While you don’t have to live in Japan to experience it for yourself, if you find yourself jetlagged and awake at 6:30 a.m., Radio Taiso is still broadcast live every day on television and ​​NHK Radio 1.

I’ve found the practice to not only be the best way to start my day, but if I ever need a little afternoon pick me up, it’s a great way to take a break and reset. If you’re interested in trying Radio Taiso for yourself, you can find plenty of videos online.