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How Japanese people stay fit for life, without ever visiting a gym
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Dear Reader, In the United States, I’m often bombarded with images and ads of fitness culture. It’s the land of Alo Yoga and the birthplace of Crossfit, and it seems that the majority of people are members of gyms like Anytime Fitness or Equinox. Any decent hotel or typical college campus has free access to a gym, and it’s not uncommon to see someone share their workout on social media as they would their food. But in contrast to that, for a country that is a leader in life expectancy at 85 years old, and has very low rates of obesity (the least among high-income developed nations at around 5%), you might be surprised to find that there is not much of a workout culture in Japan. Not many people have a membership to a gym or fitness studio. People rarely use their lunch break for a gym session, and those who do are probably seen as exercise zealots. In a Rakuten Insight survey of 1000 Japanese citizens ages 20 to their 60s, about half of those questioned revealed that they barely exercised, about once a month or not at all. Citing not enough time or simply that they don’t like exercising that much, most people just didn’t see working out as part of their lifestyle. What’s going on here? What exercise looks like in Japan If you take a closer look as to what exercise means to people, you’ll find that a lot of the time we equate exercise with working out. But perhaps exercise can take on forms that aren’t necessarily about going to a gym and lifting weights, or going on 10km runs. Namely, perhaps the exercise we need is the kind of exercise that is weaved into our lifestyle: walking. What the above results show is not that exercise isn’t important to be healthy, but that in Japan’s approach to moving, perhaps many don’t see it as exercise. Japanese adults walk an average of 6500 steps a day, with male adults in their 20s to 50s walking nearly 8000 steps a day on average, and women in their 20s to 50s about 7000 steps. People in Ogimi, Okinawa, one of the world's famous Blue Zones, are well known for making walking a part of their everyday life. Similarly, the rural prefecture of Nagano was able to reverse their high stroke rate by incorporating over 100 walking routes, and now their citizens enjoy one of the highest rates of longevity in the country. “The first thing we wanted was just to get people walking. Everyone can do that. You walk, you talk, you get exercise and that helps build up a sense of community,”
— Nagano, Matsumoto’s mayor, Akira Sugenoya
Most Japanese citizens live in very walkable cities where public transportation is convenient, safe, and affordable. As a consequence, when most people go to work, they walk. When people go grocery shopping, they walk. When people are going out for dinner, they walk. It’s an activity adopted every day by every generation: walking is a part of daily life like breathing is. The steps to better lifelong health Don’t get me wrong, I love a good workout and spend a few hours a week strength training, running, and playing tennis. I don’t doubt the advantages of a good sweat, and find that it boosts both my physical and mental health. But fitness culture can feel overwhelming for those who are new to it, and too much can perpetuate cycles of shame and guilt. It can make us believe that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is only available to the dedicated ones who consistently lift weights and are making enough time for daily runs. Instead what this shows is that, like how eating healthfully doesn’t need to be eating only salads, healthful exercise doesn’t need to be only working out. The lifestyle fitness you need may just be in a bit more walking. What does your relationship with exercise feel like these days? Warmly, Kaki Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to your friends and family (or share the article) 🌱 If this email was forwarded to you, it's nice to meet you 😊
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Hi, I'm Kaki!
I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body. Sign up for my newsletter to receive all my writing and exclusive resources!
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