My daughter had her first undoukai last weekend and had a blast!!
Before the students began their races and other events, they warmed-up their bodies with Radio Taiso/ラジオたいそう. It was really cool to see the entire student body (and teachers) moving together. My parents taught me these exercises when I was young (and of course I thought it was so stupid back then) but now I see the benefits of this warm-up exercise. Everyone in Japan, from preschoolers to senior citizens, seems to know these routines. It is, after all, the “Anytime, Anywhere, Anyone” exercise.
Try it before your next work out, or right after you wake up in the morning. People swear that it will give you a good start to your day. Instructions for the exercises found HERE.
I’ve heard of radio taiso before but I wasn’t sure what it is. Is this any exercise done in the morning as warm up called taiso or is it a specific set of exercises?
Everyone seems to know the exact same exercise. I believe there are 2 radio taiso’s that are the most popular. “Taiso” means exercise, but when you hear about “Radio Taisou”, I’m pretty it referrs to specific exercises. You can read more about the history of rajio taiso here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_calisthenics
Interesting. I remember as a kid in Taiwan, every morning there was an assembly where we had to do some stretching exercises. I’ve always liked them. I didn’t realize this came from Japan.