Most of us know that physical activity is important for our health.
But knowing that we should exercise and knowing what to actually do are two different things.
目次
Yōjō -- through modern exercise science
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends that adults:
- Be more physically active than they are now, even if only a little
- Aim for at least 60 minutes a day of walking or equivalent physical activity — roughly 8,000 steps
- Include at least 60 minutes per week of exercise vigorous enough to increase breathing and cause some sweating
- Perform muscle-strengthening exercise two or three times per week
- Avoid remaining sedentary for excessively long periods
For someone who does not exercise regularly, these numbers may sound like a lot.
But there is one recommendation that I particularly like:
“Move your body a little more than you do now.”
This idea is surprisingly close to an old Japanese concept: yōjō (養生).
Yōjō means nurturing and preserving life through everyday habits.
In Japanese writings such as Kaibara Ekiken’s Yōjōkun, written during the Edo period, appropriate physical movement was considered an important part of maintaining health, alongside food, sleep and one’s state of mind.
Today, modern science is beginning to reveal much more about what happens inside the body when we move.
One area that particularly interests me is research into myokines and exerkines.
Muscles are not simply structures that produce movement. During physical activity, muscles and other tissues release or alter various biological signalling molecules that communicate throughout the body.
Regular physical activity is also associated with reduced risks of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Research on cancer prevention is particularly interesting. Japan’s National Cancer Center has evaluated the evidence linking physical activity with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, particularly colon cancer. Research has also accumulated regarding physical activity and breast cancer risk.
This does not mean that exercise guarantees that we will not develop cancer or another disease.
Rather, physical activity is one of the things we can incorporate into everyday life to support long-term health.
Scientists are now investigating how exercise produces such widespread effects throughout the body. Myokines and exerkines are among the mechanisms being studied, alongside changes involving metabolism, inflammation and immune function.
Of course, people in the Edo period knew nothing about myokines or exerkines.
Traditional yōjō and modern science are different ways of looking at the human body.
But placing them side by side is fascinating.
One grew from generations of observation and experience. The other investigates physiological mechanisms with modern scientific methods.
This is one way of practicing onko-chishin (温故知新): learning something new by revisiting the old.
So where should we begin?
I often suggest beginning with just five minutes.
Stretch.
Contract.
Twist.
Move your shoulder blades. Flex and extend your spine. Rotate gently. Move your hips.
There does not always have to be a fixed exercise routine.
Move the parts of your body that you have not been using very much — comfortably and without forcing through pain.
I think of these five minutes as:
“Five minutes to help your body remember the movements it is beginning to forget.”
You do not have to suddenly achieve 8,000 steps every day.
Start with five minutes.
Then perhaps walk a little more. Add some strengthening exercise. Gradually discover what your own body needs.
At Kakikofu, after Kampo consultations or acupuncture treatments, we also provide individualized yōjō movement advice when appropriate.
Age, physical condition, work, lifestyle and previous exercise experience are different for everyone.
The time you spend living with your own body is far longer than the time you spend receiving treatment.
That is why yōjō belongs in everyday life.
Start with five minutes today.
Help your body remember how to move.
Learn more about Kakikofu
Kakikofu
Hiroshi
