An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but five minutes of daily physical activity could boost your longevity by years—just look at the blue zone residents of Okinawa, Japan, whose century-old workout program is responsible for cultivating one of the highest concentrations of happy and healthy centenarians in the world.
It's fairly common knowledge that studies have proven regular exercise can aid with weight management, increase energy levels, promote better sleep, and reduce your risk of certain cancers, diabetes, and other health conditions. But less known is that you don’t have to put in tons of hours at the gym to reap these benefits. By moving your body for just five minutes every day, you may be adding years to your life, and the people of Okinawa are living proof of that.
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The Japanese island of Okinawa is one of the five original blue zones, which are defined as places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations. In the past, Okinawa was referred to as “the land of immortals,” according to National Geographic explorer and longevity expert Dan Buettner.
Through his research, Buettner discovered that “Okinawans have less cancer, heart disease and dementia than Americans, and women there live longer than any women on the planet.” An Okinawan’s guide to healthy and happy longevity is rooted in a few common centenarian practices, including consuming a plant-based diet, gardening, and cultivating secure social networks.
However, another important principle that Okinawan centenarians adhere to daily is staying active through radio taiso.
While researching for their book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles studied the daily behaviors and practices of the Okinawan population. They observed that “you don’t need to go to the gym for an hour everyday or run marathons…all you need is to add movement to your day,” per an excerpt obtained by CNBC.
Okinawans’ favorite form of movement is called radio taiso or “rajio taisō.” The Japanese exercise dates back to the 1920s and still airs on the radio every morning at 6:30 a.m., according to a site dedicated to radio taiso education.
Radio taiso is a low-intensity exercise that focuses on slow, broad movements and resembles different forms of stretching. The five-minute program can be done at home, school, work, or in nature. Another added benefit: The exercise requires no equipment.
“One of the most iconic radio taiso exercises consists of simply raising your arms above your head and then bringing them down in a circular motion,” write García and Miralles. “It might seem basic, but in our modern lives, we can spend days without raising our arms above our ears.”
For Okinawans, radio taiso is also a form of socializing and community building as it can be done anywhere, at any time, and at any age.
“Even the residents of the nursing home we visited dedicated at least five minutes every day to it, though some did the exercises from their wheelchairs,” the authors share.
Some radio taiso movements can even be completed in three minutes or less, so no matter your age, schedule, or physical activity level, there's something for everyone.
