#352 The Time I Realized 'Radio Taiso No. 2' Was Serious

6:25 AM.
When I went to the living room to brew my second cup of coffee, I found my mother exercising in front of the TV.
It was "TV Taiso" broadcast on NHK.

"Radio Taiso No. 1" was playing from the TV.
I also make it a habit to do Radio Taiso in the morning. Even though it's a radio exercise routine everyone knows, I believe this exercise is the absolute best.
Because you can warm up your whole body in just three minutes!
In fact, since I started doing Radio Taiso in the morning, my quality of life has definitely improved. I wrote about this in an essay before, so I would be happy if you read that.

But here, I would like to retract my previous statement immediately.
Ever since my workplace changed in April, I have been slacking off a bit on my morning Radio Taiso.
I know this is bad, but I just didn't have the mental or physical capacity to do the exercises. I am well aware that this is just an excuse, but it is difficult to continue exercising without a certain amount of leeway.
However, when I hear that prelude to Radio Taiso No. 1, I can't help but want to exercise...!
I set aside my drip coffee, stood next to my mother, and before I knew it, I was stretching both arms upward.

Ah, that feels good. What a refreshing morning.
As I stretch my body, my muscles seem to be saying, "Thank you for stretching us!" Radio Taiso really is wonderful. Ending with deep breaths is also beautiful.
Radio Taiso No. 1 ended, and as I was about to head back to my coffee, my mother said this.

"Next is No. 2."

N-No. 2, you say...
Of course, I knew Radio Taiso No. 2 existed. I feel like I did it occasionally when I was in elementary school. But all I remember is the boys innocently bursting into laughter while doing something like "muscle poses." I didn't remember anything else about what the exercises actually were.

The instructor loudly calls out, "Radio Taiso Number Two!"
Let's do this, Radio Taiso No. 2.
Let's open up a new world.

Starting with light body-swaying exercises, the next thing to appear is that muscle pose exercise already.
According to the explanation by Japan Post Insurance, the creator of Radio Taiso, this is called "an exercise to bend and stretch the arms and legs," and it is said to have the effect of promoting blood circulation throughout the body. When I move my body according to the example, I can indeed feel the blood circulating through my body even after doing it just once. It certainly looks like a comical movement at first glance, but... no, no, it wasn't something to be done jokingly, young Tatetake.

As I do "exercises to open and rotate arms from the front," "exercises to arch the chest," and "exercises to bend the body sideways," which share some movements with Radio Taiso No. 1, I can feel my body getting hotter and hotter. Even though it's Radio Taiso, it's a decent amount of exercise.
And the next "exercise to bend the body forward and backward" is amazing.
They are swinging their arms forward and backward with incredible force!
I am astonished that such dynamic movements existed in Radio Taiso. When I arch my back with the momentum of my arms, my spine cracks. This feels good. And it shows me just how stiff my body has become.

The next "body twisting exercise" is also quite intense. Twist your body as if your arms are cutting through the air.
I lose the rhythm during the "single-leg hop and running/marching exercise," my arms, shoulders, and back creak (too stiff) during the "exercise to twist, arch, and bend the body diagonally downward," and I am astonished again by the intensity of the instructor's movements during the "body bending exercise."

I thought to myself.
If Radio Taiso No. 1 is a warm-up, then Radio Taiso No. 2 is the real deal. It is definitely not something to be done jokingly like I did as a child. This is a world of seriousness.

Although my head gets confused by the triple time of the "jumping on both legs exercise," my breathing, which had been disrupted, gradually settles down during the "arm swinging and leg bending/stretching exercise."
And finally, the customary deep breathing. Is it this pleasant to breathe while stretching your arms out to the sides?

Have a healthy day today.
With those words, the morning exercise time came to a close.
Looking to the side, I saw my mother saying "Good work" with a refreshing expression. Looking behind me, I saw my beloved cat purring for some reason.

Even though I have to go to work now, I find myself feeling a bit of fatigue in my body.
But it still feels good. It was a morning where I decided to return to the habit of Radio Taiso that I had been slacking off on recently.
The coffee in the kitchen had, as expected, gone completely cold.

Reference/Citation Site
・[Illustrated] Explaining the order and tips for Radio Taiso No. 2 (standing position) | Japan Post Insurance