Morning exercises in Japan. Junan taiso: Japanese exercises for longevity How the Japanese do exercises

23.12.202127.05.2017

Suwari taiso, or "sitting exercises", are included in some (but not all) versions of Shindo. They appear to be derived from the makko ho exercises that were developed and popularized by Nagai Haruk and his father. These taisos fall under the general category of junan taiso, and the word junan means "flexible".

The use of stretching exercises as a means of developing flexibility, achieving health and longevity is in last years a popular topic in the media, and the value of such methods is now widely recognized. Through these techniques, health can be improved through various ways, including deeper relaxation, improved circulation and increased flexibility.

Building Flexibility: Stretching Exercises

Five principles for junan taiso

1. Gradually increase the range of flexibility.

2. Relax and avoid forcibly stretching your body.

3. Follow the natural sequence of movements.

4. Maintain a natural steady rhythm that promotes oneness of mind and body.

5. Put ki into every movement.

1. Front stretch

Sit with legs extended. Point your toes toward you and push off with your heels so that your feet are bent backward at a 70-degree angle. Keep your knees straight.

Tipping your toes back stretches the muscles on the back of your legs and helps keep your knees straight during the stretch.

Sit with your back straight (at right angles to the floor), arms parallel to the floor, fingers pointing towards your toes.

Then, imagining the hara as an imaginary joint, lean forward from this point and reach for your toes in a gentle four-beat rhythm (see figure).

Stretching forward a couple of inches, bring your ki to a point behind your toes and on the floor in front of your heels.

At the end, you will be able to reach behind your toes to touch the floor. You can also try to grab onto your toes or balls of your feet and gently pull them towards you with both hands to help you reach further forward.

Don't lower your head to your knees.

In this exercise, your goal is to stretch your feet, ankles, and rear surface legs.

2. Stretching from the “legs apart” position

Spread your legs apart as wide as possible. Take your toes towards you, heels away from you and straighten your legs. Lean to the left and grab your toes with your left hand.

Keeping your back relatively straight, move your fingertips right hand over the left foot and lean to the left. Performing light, rhythmic movements and at the same time pulling up the left foot, gradually lower the head to the left knee.

Then repeat this series of movements to the right and, using the brushes, spread your legs a little wider. Look at the picture below to see this exercise. The wider you spread your legs (preferably reaching an angle of 160 °), the easier it will be to complete the next part of this exercise.

Now place your fists on top of each other with your arms fully extended on the floor in front of you. Bending at the hara point and turning the pelvis forward and down, lean forward and, in a gentle swaying motion, lower the head to touch the fists (see fig.).

Repeat the same, but this time tilt your head towards only one fist. Finally, touch the floor with your head and, if possible, with your chest.

Try to hold on to some fixed object in front of you. Using this hand support, you can gently stretch forward.

Your task is to stretch the legs, thighs, groin area and back.

3. Sitting stretch

Bring the soles of both feet together in front of the groin area. Ideally, your heels should be about the distance of your fist from your body and in line with your knees.

Take your toes and feet in your hands and keep your back straight at a right angle to the floor, shoulders down (see fig.).

Tap your knees on the floor, rhythmically raising and lowering them. Relax completely and move naturally. As flexibility increases, the knees can easily drop to the floor.

Don't force this move.

Now, to relax your groin and thighs, bend over from the hara, keeping your back almost straight, and bring your head to a point in front of your feet (see fig.).

Perform a gentle four-beat rhythmic movement as you move forward.

Since you are holding on to your toes, you can pull up with your hands, using them as a lever to move forward.

This exercise stretches the hips, groin and legs. The back is also stretched, up to the sacrococcygeal region. This was not the case in the first two exercises.

4. Seiza Twisting Stretch

Now kneel down and sit lightly on your heels in the seiza pose. Turn your arms back in a wide range, as if you were drawing an arc with your fingertips.

Turn to the left and, when you reach the most comfortable position, put your left hand on the floor.

Then gradually tilt your head toward the floor between your hands in a steady, four-stroke rocking motion.

When the head moves forward, the right hand will also touch the floor, as in the picture below.

Repeat this twist on the right side.

The seiza pose itself creates a slight stretch in the legs, knees, and ankles. Crunches increase the flexibility of the back and align the spine.

As you do the left crunch, your head will come closer to the floor and you will also feel a stretch in your left arm, left side of your chest, and left shoulder.

5. Stretching the back in seiza pose

Remaining in the seiza pose, use your hands and forearms to slowly lie down on your back. Your feet remain under your hips, palms above your head, stretch up and away from your head as shown in the picture below.

Then lift your right shoulder off the floor and twist to the left.

Then lift your left shoulder and twist to the right. Continue rolling back and forth over your shoulders and side to side.

While doing this, keep your knees together and on the floor while extending your arms fully.

This exercise stretches the hips, knees, ankles, back, abdominals, chest, shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers.

If you feel pain in your knees, place a folded towel, blanket, or pillow between your buttocks and legs.

Similarly, a blanket or towel placed between the ankles and the floor relieves ankle pain.

And if you can't lean back completely, place pillows under your back.

Then, after a few weeks, gradually remove one pillow at a time, making it easier for you to lean back.

Using your imagination, you can find other supports to help with these exercises.

6. Rocking

Sit cross-legged, lower back straight. Place your left foot in front of your right foot, which is tucked under your thigh. Leave a gap of about 20 cm between the feet.

Open your chest, lower your shoulders and look at the horizon line. Gently place the brushes on the surface of the feet.

Lean forward a little to feel the weight of the body move towards the popliteal region, and also forward and down towards the hara (see fig.).

Each part of the back, especially the lower back, will touch the floor. Be careful not to hit your head on the floor by keeping your chin tucked into your chest and stop when your feet are pointing straight up at the ceiling.

Relax your legs as you swing, allowing them to respond to centrifugal force, and let them straighten out as you lean back.

The hands slide off the feet to gently touch the tops of the knees. This will keep the legs from going too far behind the head (see picture).

When you return forward, take your chin away from your chest, look straight ahead. At the same time, begin to straighten your back and allow the hands to return to their original position, touching the feet.

At the end, return to the original position, but with one condition: change the position of the legs in the air so that when the feet touch the floor, the right foot is in this moment was in front.

The purpose of this exercise is to massage the back by swinging along the floor surface. This massage will relax and soften the muscles on both sides of the spine.

With the right leg as close as possible under the hips, lean slightly to the right, massaging along the right side of the spine. Then change the position of the legs in the air so that when returning to the starting position, the left foot is closer to the body.

As you swing forward, focus your ki in front of whatever is in front of you, allowing it to move indefinitely after the body comes to a halt. This mental image will facilitate the return to the starting position and will maintain the coordination of mind and body.

Important Points

Stretching techniques usually use one of two methods. We either stretch the body to its maximum capacity and then hold that position, or we jump up and down with a fairly large range of motion. The latter method is much more likely to lead to injuries and sprains. However, none of these conventional approaches are used in the above exercises. Instead, a gentle wiggling motion is suggested.

Extend one arm, tighten it and hold in this position. It should be easy enough to maintain tension. Extend your arm again and shake with your fingertips and hand. While you are shaking, try to tighten and lock the muscles in your arm.

After one or two such attempts, it becomes clear that it is easier to keep the muscles tense when the arm is stationary than when it is in motion: in order to move, the muscles cannot be frozen in tension.

This is a good reason to use a gentle gradual rocking motion as you lean towards the floor in exercises 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Think of it as a small slowly increasing type of movement. It runs for four beats. Every time you move, try to move forward. Sit still, return to the starting position and then move again. Make slow, gradual and continuous progress forward (see fig.).

You must pay special attention to where you are and what you are doing. As a result, this relatively small, incremental and progressive movement ensures that you are constantly thinking about the moment.

Since there is a constant forward movement, we also encourage the maintenance of a continuous projection of ki in this direction.

Don't try to become flexible overnight. You will only injure and stretch the ligaments and muscles. Therefore, the initial movements in each exercise should be performed gently, gradually stretching your body. This allows the muscles to warm up before they become more flexible.

Relaxation is very important for flexibility, and a natural rhythm can help achieve this. Again, maintain a steady, even rhythm to keep your mind and body in a more relaxed state.

Aim for a rhythm of one heartbeat per second. You can slowly count to yourself as you lean towards the floor. If you have relaxing music that is built on a 4/4 rhythm, you can do the exercises to it. Explore the relationship between rhythm, relaxation and coordination.

You can also try exhaling as you lean towards the floor, which is in a simple way achieve relaxation. In the end, you must perform the movement in a relaxed state so that you can breathe almost normally, even if you are doing stretching exercises.

Also pay attention to the order of the exercises.. Each movement prepares the body for the next action. Reordering will lead to less efficiency, although after completing one series, you can return and work on a particularly difficult exercise. published.

Haruki Nakamura "Japanese yoga for beginners"

If you have any questions, ask them

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

morning exercises we only associate with kindergarten - but in Japan morning exercises do everything without exception, and this contributes to life expectancy, scientists have found out who have studied the secrets of a long and happy life of the Japanese. If you are also not averse to warming up in the morning, we offer two short complex exercises - from yoga and the same morning exercises in Japanese.

According to studies that were conducted in the "blue zones" - the corners of the world where the most centenarians live - not those who play sports seriously, but those who simply move regularly, live the longest.

When we arrived in Ohimi, we found that the villagers remain active even after their 80s or 90s. They do not sit at home, looking out the window and reading newspapers. Residents of Ohimi walk a lot, get together and go to karaoke, get up early and, after having breakfast, immediately go to the garden to weed the beds. They do not practice any particular sport, but simply in their Everyday life move a lot.

“Metabolism slows down by 90% after a person has sat still without getting up for half an hour. If you sit without getting up for two hours, the level of good cholesterol in the blood drops by 20%. But you just need to get up from a chair for five minutes - and everything returns to normal. Getting up from a chair is easy, not doing it is stupid, "writes Gavin Bradley, director of an international association whose goal is to give people an idea of how unhealthy it is to constantly sit still.

When you live in a city, it is not always possible to move enough, but you can resort to exercises, the effectiveness of which has been proven many centuries ago. Eastern practices to achieve bodily, spiritual and intellectual balance in the West came into fashion only in recent times, while in the East their history is measured in millennia.

Yoga, which was invented in India but became very popular in Japan, or Chinese practices like tai chi or qigong are often called the elixir of youth: they improve the general condition of the body and are great for older people who find it more difficult to keep fit.

Japanese scientists have shown that Eastern practices prolong life: for example, tai chi helps fight osteoporosis, slows down the progression of Parkinson's disease and improves blood circulation, as well as improves elasticity and muscle tone. Also, this practice has a positive effect on the emotional state, protecting against stress and depression.

In almost all techniques that promote health and longevity, there are special exercises to start the day.

This morning exercise was done by the Japanese even before World War II. The word "radio" ("radzio") originally remained in the name, because before the instructions for each exercise were given by the announcer on the radio, and now people usually do them by turning on a special channel on TV. One of the main goals that daruma taiso practitioners set for themselves is to strengthen the team spirit, to feel like they are part of a team.

Daruma taisho is always practiced in a group, often in large gyms, with loudspeakers in schools before class, in offices before the work day. Nearly all of the centenarians we interviewed in Ohimi do these exercises, most in the morning. Even in the nursing home, where we also went, many, even those who are already moving around in a wheelchair, also set aside five minutes a day for daruma taiso.

The exercises themselves take from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on whether they are performed from start to finish or individual blocks. Taiso gymnastics combines elements and exercises for the joints. One of the most famous exercises is to simply raise your arms above your head, and then lower them down through the side, making semicircular movements.

Yoga, now popular both in Japan and in the West, is suitable for almost everyone. Some of her poses and elements even migrated to therapeutic gymnastics for people with disabilities and for pregnant women.

Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago, and the goal of its creators was to balance the spiritual and physical components of a person. In hatha yoga, the most common direction in the West and in Japan, inner harmony is achieved with the help of certain asanas (postures).

One of the key exercises in hatha yoga is surya namaskar - salutation to the sun. It consists of 12 steps.

Connect the feet and straighten the spine without straining it. Exhale.
Connect your palms and, without separating them, raise your arms above your head. Slightly tilt the body back, without stopping breathing.
As you continue to breathe, lean forward and touch the floor with your palms without bending your knees.
Step one leg back, straighten it, touch the floor with your fingertips. Breathe in.
Step back the other leg, keep your arms and legs straight, hold your breath.
Continue to breathe, bend your elbows and stretch your chest towards the floor, resting your knees on the floor.
Stretch your arms and lean back, inhale.
With your palms and feet on the floor, lift your hips, straighten your legs and arms to form an L. Remember to breathe.
Bring forward the leg, which in paragraph 4 was taken back and bent. Your foot and knee should be in line under your chin, between your palms. Breathe in.
Touch the palms of the floor, as in pose 3. Breathe.
Raise your arms with palms together above your head, while inhaling, lean back slightly, as in pose 2.
Lower your arms, return to the starting position - the pose of the mountain. Keep breathing.

So, you have welcomed the sun and are ready for a new beautiful day.

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Fukutsuji method for weight loss

The Japanese method of losing weight with a towel, in fact, is static exercise with the effect of stretching the spine. Initially, gymnastics was intended to solve problems with the back, bones and joints. Only after some time, Fukutsuji noticed that after the anatomical restoration of the spine, there is a decrease in the waist, straightening of the posture and an increase in human height.

The principle of action of gymnastics with a roller is to form correct posture. The Japanese methodology is based on the theory of studying the causes of recruitment excess weight. Fukutsuji identifies two factors:

Human bones are constantly exposed to negative effects - poor posture, sitting at a computer, childbirth, excessive stress. This leads to a divergence of the costal and pelvic bones, and then to the accumulation of fat in the thighs, buttocks, and abdomen.
Bone misalignment causes misalignment internal organs, which leads to metabolic disorders and weight gain.

The mechanism of influence of Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller to reduce the waist and hips is to stretch the pelvic bones and hypochondrium, the effect of exercises on the spine. If it functions normally, then the internal systems of the body also work well. If there are problems, then there is a violation of the entire process of life.

Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller for weight is conditional. Classes stimulate the production of brown fat, which is not deposited like white fat, but is burned to maintain body temperature. The process is explained by the design of the brown cell. In its cytoplasm are mitochondria that stimulate the oxidation of fats. Enhanced blood supply due to a large number capillaries, increases the amount of oxygen for burning fat. As a result, energy is generated.

In other words, the exercise itself does not burn “problem” fat - it helps it not to be delayed, straighten your posture, put the pelvic bones in place, which over time will lead to a reduction in the waist, straightening of the shoulders, i.e. the figure will visually become slimmer. Complementary gymnastics healthy eating, physical activity, will help to use the technique to reduce weight.

Japanese towel roll technique - rules and principles of operation

Before you start lying on a towel, you should study the basic rules and recommendations to achieve an effective result from gymnastics. The rules include:

Solid surface - for a clear fixation of the spine.
Compliance with the exercise time - excess can be harmful to health.
Breathing should be slow and even.
Training time - gymnastics is carried out 2 hours before or after meals.
Schedule - exercises should be done daily at the same time.
The dimensions of the roller are 7-15 cm in diameter, at least 40 cm long. It should correspond to the width of the back or be 2-3 cm larger.

To perform the exercises correctly, you must follow the recommendations. They are as follows:

After completing the gymnastics, you should not make sudden movements - you need to smoothly roll to one side and lie down for a couple of minutes.
At the beginning of classes, you will have to overcome the pain from the load on the incorrectly located bones.
If after 5-6 workouts the discomfort does not go away, you should stop doing gymnastics for a while.
It is necessary to engage in the technique only with a positive attitude.

Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller involves compliance with the measure. The first days of classes, lying should not exceed 1-2 minutes, so that the load is gradual. In this case, it is better to use the diameter of the roller no more than 7 cm. You can increase it by 2-3 weeks of exercise. It is important to listen to your feelings. If everything is done correctly, then the person feels how the bones take on a natural position, and the stomach and sides are drawn into the abdominal cavity.

The effectiveness of gymnastics

Application of Dr. Fukutsuji's technique in combination with the regularity of classes, proper nutrition, allow to achieve excellent results. These include:

reduction of waist by 5-7 cm in 3 months;
strengthening the spine, correcting posture;
increase in growth by 2-3 cm;
getting rid of cellulite;
improvement of blood circulation, due to which pressure is normalized;
reduction of pain in the joints, neck, lower back;
correction of the shape of the breast;
sleep normalization.

In confirmation of the effectiveness of Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller, it is recommended to monitor the changes that occur with the body. To do this, you can use photos before and after several classes, keep a diary of observations with measurements of volumes, a description of the current state. So you can visually assess how much the stomach has been drawn in, the chest has risen, the posture has leveled. These methods will be an excellent motivation to continue gymnastics.

Execution technique

The location of the roller determines which zone will decrease in volume. Proper execution exercise is the guarantor of positive changes in the body. Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller provides for starting a lesson from 1-2 minutes, gradually bringing it up to 5-10 minutes. The roller can be twisted from a terry towel by tightly wrapping it with tape or strong thread. The diameter of the device must be varied so that the person does not experience severe pain.

Japanese back exercise with a roller

The back exercise is easy to do. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Position the body horizontally, place the roller under the lower back, clearly above the level of the navel.
Legs should be straight, heels apart and firmly pressed to the floor, and thumbs should be connected.
Place your hands behind your head, palms down. In this case, the little fingers should touch each other.
Next, you should relax and lie down like this from 30 seconds to 5-10 minutes.
After that, you need to gently roll to one side and lie down for a minute.
Then get on all fours and slowly rise.

In order to get rid of the problems caused by cervical osteochondrosis, you need to resort to the following method. Its description:

Make a roll of 2 ping-pong balls, which are placed inside the sock, then tied together with an elastic band.
Next, lie down on the floor and place your neck between the balls.
The exercise time is 3-5 minutes. The first results will be noticeable in a couple of days.

Gymnastics to reduce volume and improve the shape of the breast

To correct the chest, it is necessary to perform the exercise in the same order as gymnastics for the back. The process looks like this in more detail:

Lying on your back, place the roller under the sternum in the area of the shoulder blades.
The arms should be extended behind the head, palms down with little fingers touching.
The legs are extended, the heels are spread apart and pressed to the floor.
The feet should be directed inward so that the thumbs constantly touch each other. You can tie them with ribbon.
You need to lie down for 3-5 minutes, in a relaxed state.
Breathing should be even.
You can’t get up abruptly - you need to roll onto your right side, and then slowly rise.

Exercises for slimming thighs and cellulite

You can reduce the volume of the hips, get rid of cellulite in 2-3 months of constant training. For this you need:

Lie on your left side on a hard surface.
Place the roller under the thigh, leaning on the hands.
The right leg should be brought in a bent state in front of the left, which should rest on the side of the foot on the floor.
It is necessary to roll the hip up and down the roller for about 3-5 minutes.
Next, the left thigh must be changed to the right, and similar exercises should be done on it.

Pros and cons of the technique

Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller has its positive and negative sides. The pluses include:

Easy to use - exercises do not take much time, even a child can do them.
Accessibility - for gymnastics you do not need simulators, massage or a gym. All you need is a roll of terry towel tied with a strong thread.
Complex action - the exercise affects all parts of the spine, removes cellulite, lifts the chest, reduces the waist, hips.
Safety - there is no risk of injury with caution, exercise technique.

Inherent in Japanese gymnastics and relative disadvantages. These include the following factors:

Discomfort at the beginning of training or with incorrect body posture.
Low efficiency of weight loss - you can lose weight only by reducing volumes, and weight practically does not change.
The need for a diet - to obtain stable results of losing weight, it is necessary not to exceed 1400 kcal per day.

Contraindications and side effects

Japanese gymnastics for weight loss with a roller does not require specific indications and is suitable for almost everyone. If there are any problems with the spine, before starting classes, a consultation with an orthopedist or chiropractor is necessary. Gymnastics is contraindicated for the following diagnoses and conditions:

osteochondrosis;
hernia;
scoliosis;
protrusion of the intervertebral discs;
hypertension;
neurological pathologies;
pregnancy, lactation;
problems in the work of the hip joints;
internal and external bleeding;
elevated body temperature.

Performing the exercise in rare cases can cause some complications. In this case, it is necessary to stop the gymnastics, consult a doctor if the pain has not stopped. The list of complications is as follows:

acute pain in the back due to compression or inflammation of the nerve roots of the spine;
clouding, loss of consciousness;
spasm of the back muscles, which does not go away even after the exercise is completed;
intensifying migraine;
nausea, dizziness;
malaise 10-20 minutes after gymnastics.

Video

Hypodynamia is considered a serious problem of our time. The human body has developed under conditions of severe physical activity. We inherited from our ancestors such a metabolism, which assumes that we will constantly move.

Ancient people hunted and ran away from predators, so they did not suffer from obesity. BUT modern man spends most of his life sitting in front of a monitor or TV screen. Therefore, the issue of weight loss has become very relevant. A strict diet can cause serious harm to the body. And the gym is not accessible to everyone, because classes take so much time!

Japanese gymnastics offers a way out of a difficult situation, the exercises of which can be performed at home without special simulators. Arm yourself with only a roller and a mat for classes.

Initially, Japanese gymnastics with a roller, authored by Dr. Fukutsuji, was developed as a set of exercises for the spine. But it turned out that by correcting posture, a person improves his figure.

First, due to the incorrect position of the vertebrae, there may be an expansion of the bones, which makes the stomach larger.

Secondly, poor posture leads to improper redistribution of the load on the muscles. In the correct position, the abdominal muscles are tightened, which means that the silhouette of the waist is thinner. Due to incorrect redistribution of weight when walking, the load goes to the lower back. The abdominal muscles become weaker and the abdomen bulges. Even very thin people can face such a problem.

Among other things, because of a sick spine, a person becomes lower. Correct your posture, and the figure will become better!

To perform the exercise, it is not necessary to buy ready-made sports equipment. You can build a roller from a regular towel. Tie the roller with tape or thread. They should not be felt on your back when you place the roller under your lower back. Start on the smallest roller. When you get used to it, take a bigger towel.

Perform the exercise on the floor or on a gym mat. Do not do it on a soft surface!

Lie down on the floor, placing the roller perpendicular to the spine, exactly under the navel. Draw a line from the navel with two fingers on both sides, your hands should touch the towel.

Spread your legs shoulder-width apart and touch your big toes to each other. In this case, the heels will be located apart.

Raise your hands above your head and place your palms down so that the little fingers touch each other. At first, it may be difficult for you to keep your arms straight. You can spread your elbows a little, but do not separate your little fingers. Try to stay in this position as long as possible. Start with 1-2 minutes, and increase the time to 5. In order not to get confused, you can set a timer on your phone. After the end of the exercise, lie on the floor for a few more minutes in a position convenient for you, and only then get up.

Every day you have to spend only a few minutes to maintain health and good posture. Agree, not too difficult. The result will appear only in a month regular classes. Over time, you will get rid of muscle clamps and curvature of the spine. The Japanese claim that good posture also has a positive effect on metabolism.

Even if you do not do other exercises, the waist will become thinner. After correcting the spine, you can proceed to other workouts. Now they will be easier, because it will be easier for you to correctly distribute the load on the muscles.