When you think of Japan’s most well-known gymnastics, what comes to mind?
I think it’s radio calisthenics. Radio gymnastics has a long history, about 100 years ago in 1928, when it was established by the Postal Insurance Bureau of the Ministry of Communications to commemorate the grand ceremony of the enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor, and with the cooperation of the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. It was the first time the program was held under the name ” National Health Exercises” with the aim of maintaining and improving the health of the nation.
At our hospital, I collaborated with my sister, who is a disaster prevention specialist, to plan ” Internal Medicine Okamoto Clinic Radio Exercises,” which began in July last year. The event is held every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. in front of our hospital’s parking lot, and more than 1,400 people have participated so far.
Of course, we plan to continue this project in the future, but we will explain the significance of this project by focusing on the three elements that are important in preventing frailty: exercise, nutrition, and social activities.

First of all, exercise is a full-body exercise that evenly moves muscles, bones, and joints in just 3 minutes, and if you do it consistently, you can expect various health benefits.
Specifically, it burns fat by increasing basal metabolism, rejuvenates blood vessel age and physical strength, prevents osteoporosis, and prevents and relieves stiff neck and shoulders. In fact, some participants were unable to jump due to lower back pain when they first started gymnastics, but gradually they were able to do it again and their lower back pain improved. I have also heard people expressing joy, such as that by participating in radio calisthenics, they have become more regular in their daily lives and feel better, and that their autonomic nerves are no longer upset when the seasons change.

Next is “Nutrition”. Those who have participated in a total of 15 radio exercise sessions will be given a free gift (for example, a one-bite cake, along with a small piece of paper with trivia information about disaster prevention).
Adzuki beans, one of the raw materials for yokan, are rich in dietary fiber three times that of burdock, nearly twice as much polyphenol as red wine, and nearly as much calcium as milk, and are attracting attention for their high nutritional value. ing.
Additionally, since the product has a relatively long expiration date of approximately one year, we hope that it will be an opportunity for families to keep yokan on hand as an emergency food at home. In addition to the yokan, my sister uses her knowledge as a disaster prevention specialist to make sure that the gift is not just a small gift, but will help improve the disaster prevention capabilities of the community and family.

Finally, “social activities”. Opportunities for real-life interaction between people have decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic, further accelerating the dilution of community, which had been a major issue even before the coronavirus outbreak.
In particular, it is becoming clear that for the elderly, being unable to participate in the activities that gave them purpose in life can lead to frailty and the need for nursing care.
We believe that radio exercise sessions provide a place for people in the neighborhood to build heartwarming connections, and that these connections are the foundation of the “power of mutual assistance in times of disaster.” We aim to become ” new and unprecedented clinic” that not only protects the health of the local community, but also contributes to local disaster prevention.